The Pandemic and Political Order

In this article, Francis Fukuyama argues that the success of a country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic depends on its state capacity, social trust, and leadership.

He notes that both democracies and autocracies have had varying degrees of success, with the key factors being the competence of the state apparatus, the trust citizens have in their government, and the effectiveness of leaders.

Fukuyama criticizes the U.S.

response, attributing its failures to a highly polarized society and incompetent leadership, and discusses the potential long-term implications for global order and the resilience of liberal democracy.