August 2020: Complex challenges mark U.S. COVID-19 response and recovery efforts

As coronavirus becomes more widespread throughout the United States, our experts are providing commentary on how domestic, economic, and international challenges are impacting the country's response and recovery efforts.

Director of Strategic Studies Mara Karlin described how the U.S. has previously wondered about the effectiveness of other countries’ health systems on the Smart Women, Smart Power podcast, adding the federal response to the pandemic has our allies and partners around the world “looking at us that way now.” 

Foreign Policy Institute Senior Fellow Daniel Hamilton told Deutsche Welle News “many other countries have had wise leadership that has tried to communicate the extent of the challenge we’re facing [with coronavirus] and President Trump has done the opposite.” 

Aronson Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Studies Sarah Parkinson wrote in a Social Sciences Research Council essay that “in the United States even basic information regarding COVID-19—particularly its origins, geographic spread, potential prevention measures, and mortality rates—has been highly politicized.” 

Associate Professor of the Practice of International Relations Yascha Mounk warned in The Atlantic that "with public opinion more polarized than it was a few months ago, and the presidential election looming, any attempt to deal with a resurgence of the virus is likely to be even more haphazard, contentious, and ineffective than it was the first time around.”

Senior Research Professor of International Economics Anne Krueger highlighted lessons the U.S. should learn from the easing of COVID-19 restrictions too soon in Project Syndicate, writing “the virus will dictate the pace at which we can safely resume economic activity and the public’s adherence to preventive measures will determine the pace at which the virus is defeated.” 
 

Senior Lecturer of International Economics Jason Fichtner analyzed the pandemic's impact on the economy during a Library of Congress webinar, noting “we need to start thinking about what policies we need to have in place if we’re going to be asked to live under COVID for one, two, three, or five years.”