Rumki Basu, Democracy and Public Policy in the Post-COVID-19 World: Choices and Outcomes (Ist Edition) (Routledge, India, 2020) 232 p

Abstract

Today we are passing through one of the most turbulent crisis in the form of coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only impacted the world in terms of health and well-being but is reshaping our lives economically, politically, socially and emotionally. The pandemic is deepening pre-existing inequalities, exposing vulnerabilities in social, political and economic systems which are in turn amplifying the impacts of the pandemic. All governments of the world are striving hard to contain the spread of COVID-19.  A structured and well-coordinated approach is critical for tackling this global crisis. The spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is changing how we lead our lives and how political leaders are making decisions at the local, national and global level. The book Democracy and Public Policy in the Post-COVID-19 World: Choices and Outcomes (First Edition) by Rumki Basu is a sterling contribution in comprehensively presenting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on future policy making in India and other democracies. It critically analyses the existing theories, models and approaches on policy making process and studies their contemporary relevance. A similar book entitled The Case for Democracy in the COVID-19 Pandemic by Seedhouse (2020) explores the psychological biases; distorted risk perceptions; frenetic journalism; the disputed science; the narrow focus of 'experts'; value judgements dressed up as truths; propaganda; the invisibility of ethics; and the alarming irrelevance of inclusive democracy that have been features of governmental responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.