Covid-۱۹, scientific specialty and political leadership: The impacts of Coronavirus disease on the paradigms of decision-making of world-powers

Impacting all spheres of human life in all countries of the world, Covid-۱۹ pandemic raised new matters and evoked new as well as old questions. As far as political leadership is concerned, Covid-۱۹ reintroduced one of the most persistent questions of human’s intellectual history: What is the proper place of knowledge and experts in making political decisions? and who must have the last say with respect to setting priorities and adopting policies? The question of supreme authority was specifically aroused because the pandemic has as urgnt nature demanding prompt and unified response. But, as general the agreement about the urgency of Covid-۱۹ and the need of last say has been, the responses to it have shown a great diversity; different countries have given different answers to “who must decide and based on what” with respect to Corona virus policies. The variety of responses the question received around the world reflects a variety in the paradigms of decision-making. But, Corona virus didn’t simply bring the preexisting paradigms of decision-making to the light, it influenced them and transformed them as well. In current study we first differentiate between the various ideal typical paradigms of decision-making. The criterion based on which this distinction is made is comparative weight of politicians and scientists in shaping and determining public policies. Then, we present an account of paradigms of decision-making in the United States and China in the pre-Covid-۱۹ era. The reason why these two nations has been chosen for deeper study is that they are two major world-powers of twenty first century, and future of the world orders depends on their completions and the decisions they make. Finally, we discuss about the impacts Corona virus had on the way public policies are made in the United States and China. Our hypothesis is that Corona virus left opposite impacts on the models of decision-making of ۲۱st century’s two world-powers; In the United States bureaucratization of politics triumphed and an increase in the political role of scientists happened, while in China the pandemic strengthened the charismatic leadership and tightened the control of politicians over scientific centers.

Keywords:

Covid-۱۹ , paradigm of decision-making , politicians , question of last say , scientists , world-powers