The Role of Centralization of Power in Combatting Pandemics

Abstract

Advancements in technology have enabled humanity to be more interconnected than ever, strengthening our economies and promoting globalization. However, as seen in the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic, such a high degree of interconnectedness between nations and peoples allows infectious diseases to spread around the world at unprecedented rates. We have seen hundreds of nations attempt to combat the COVID-19 Pandemic in many different ways with varying amounts of success, from total isolation and quarantine to attempting to procure herd immunity through exposure. The People’s Republic of China, being the first nation to deal with the coronavirus pandemic set a new standard for disease identification, control and eradication by eliminating the disease completely within a matter of months. Method: This paper analyzes the coronavirus strategies of three major nations, China, South Korea, and the United States, by comparing the severity and types of measures taken to contain/prevent spread to the efficacy of those measures as seen in their respective curves. Results: From the analysis, it was clearly seen that having a high degree of power centralization with respect to the federal government as seen in China and South Korea along with minimal opposition from individual states, parties, and the legal system allowed for vastly more effective pandemic control as compared to libertarian nations with higher levels of autonomy for both lower levels of government and individuals such as what is seen in the United States of America.