Asia In-Depth Podcast: Are Democracies Handling COVID-19 Better Than Authoritarian Countries?
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (C), seen wearing a face mask amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic alongside soldiers and officials, poses for a photograph during her visit to a military base in Tainan, southern Taiwan, on April 9, 2020. (Sam Yeh/AFP/Getty Images)
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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments around the world to manage a huge public health risk using lockdowns, travel bans, digital contact tracing, and other tools. Some countries have been shining examples of how the outbreak was successfully managed — while others are the target of widespread criticism. This has sparked a public discussion about whether certain kinds of governments have been more effective; can one make the case that democratic or authoritarian governments are better equipped to deal with COVID-19?
That was the subject for this episode of Asia In-Depth, featuring Fareed Zakaria, author and host of the CNN show Fareed Zakaria GPS, and Asia Society Policy Institute President and former Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd. Zakaria and Rudd also discussed the murder of George Floyd — and the worldwide protests that have followed.
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