Assessing the Drivers and Consequences of Multi-Level States Responses to the Covid-19 Pandemic in the G7
Funder: The British Academy
PI: Dr Simon Toubeau
Duration: July 2023 - June 2024
As part of the British Academy's programme on 'Pandemic Preparedness: Lessons to Learn from Covid-19 across the G7', this project will assess why 'multi-level' states responded to the pressures of the time so differently, and consider how they can be helped to better coordinate their responses to future pandemics.
The different experiences of the G7 countries during the pandemics offers a fertile ground on which to draw lessons about how and why policy coordination is achieved in multi-level states and with what effect. The pandemic generated tensions in these countries because while regional governments could take the measures required for tackling the crisis in their jurisdiction, they also needed to coordinate their actions with other regional and central governments, to ensure their response was effective.
The puzzle this project tackles is why the ‘multi-level’ states in the G7 responded to this pressure so differently. It also assesses what problems and conflicts emerged from their efforts to coordinate policy.
The project will produce two articles, two policy briefs and one summary report detailing how and why coordination was achieved and with what effect. These will be presented to policymakers from G7 countries during four outreach activities, in order to assist governments to better coordinate their responses to future pandemics.