RSIS Webinar by Dr Adam Garfinkle – 8 May 2020

We have heard sirens of ideological marketing in the COVID-19 crisis, from Russia, China, and elsewhere, claiming that the pandemic proves authoritarian government superior to democratic government. We have also heard arguments in the United States and some other countries that small and limited government is inferior to big government in tough times, and implying that all future times will be tough.

Neither argument is correct. The evidence shows that neither authoritarian nor democratic systems have clear advantages or disadvantages in pandemic contingencies—other factors are far more important.  The same goes for the size of government. Neither big nor small is necessarily better; better is better, and what determines administrative effectiveness and competency is far more complex than mere size.

More details at: https://www.rsis.edu.sg/event/rsis-webinar-with-dr-adam-garfinkle-rsis-distinguished-visiting-fellow-and-founding-editor-of-the-american-interest/