The Pandemic and the People: Lessons for U.S. Democracy

This course explored major public policy issues and challenges facing American democracy that were placed in stark relief by the COVID-19 pandemic. Each session considered a different theme. We drew heavily on insights from the COVID States Project, a monthly survey of all 50 states on attitudes and behaviors around COVID and various other issues that have arisen during the pandemic. Themes included (but were not limited to): public trust, public health infrastructure, health communication, partisan polarization, socio-economic inequality, racism, executive leadership, misinformation, the proper role of federalism, fiscal policy during crises, and mental health. The course was predominantly focused on the United States, though addressed some international aspects.

The syllabus can be found here.