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. 2021 Mar;55(2):249-260.
doi: 10.1111/spol.12718. Epub 2021 Mar 16.

Social policy in the face of a global pandemic: Policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis

Daniel Béland  1 , Bea Cantillon  2 , Rod Hick  3 , Amílcar Moreira  4
Affiliations

Social policy in the face of a global pandemic: Policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis

Daniel Béland et al. Soc Policy Adm. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

How have welfare states responded to the coronavirus pandemic? In this introductory article, we provide a synopsis of papers that comprise this special issue on social policy responses to COVID-19, an overview of some of the key questions they raise, and some provisional answers to these questions. Our conclusions are threefold: first, these social policy responses, while entailing new developments in many countries, nonetheless reflect, at least in part, existing national policy legacies. Second, these responses can be understood as a form of "emergency Keynesianism," which is characterized by the massive use of deficit spending during economic crises, with the aim of to supporting rather than challenging core capitalist institutions. Third, there are clear differences in terms of the nature of the reforms enacted during the initial phase of the COVID-19 crisis as compared to reforms enacted as a response to the 2008 financial crisis.

Keywords: COVID‐19; crisis; pandemic; policy responses; social policy; welfare state.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Incidence of COVID‐19, at the end of the first and second waves [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Severity of COVID‐19, first and second waves [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the economy [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Cross‐national differences of the impact of the first wave of COVID‐19 on unemployment [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Cross‐national differences of the impact of the first wave of COVID‐19 on unemployment and inactivity [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Béland, D. , Dinan, S. , Rocco, P. , & Waddan, A. (2021). Social policy responses to COVID‐19 in Canada and the United States: Explaining policy variations between two liberal welfare state regimes. Social Policy and Administration. 10.1111/spol.12656 - DOI
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