Coping with Covid-19 in a non-democratic system

Policy lessons from Thailand’s centralised government

Bibliographic Data

ID13138271
AuthorsPiyapong Boossabong (0000-0003-1161-1897, corresponding author), Pobsook Chamchong (0000-0003-4630-9209, Chiang Mai University)
Year2020
Volume2
Issue3
Pages358-371
Publication date2020-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Review of Public Policy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2679-3873 • E-ISSN: 2706-6274
PublisherInternational Public Policy Association (PUBLISHER • FR)
DOI10.4000/irpp.1382
OpenAlexW3112956033
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited5

Policy analysis in Thailand during these turbulent times (COVID-19) is based mainly on expert opinion expressed under a highly centralised and non-democratic political system. However, the government’s claim of scientific rationality shows that political reasons are at play behind the scenes. Moreover, this policy domain does not interact well with the social domain as it is missing the social, contextual and experiential constructions of policy problems and solutions. Scientists are less sensitive to the social mood and fears and are thus unable to cope effectively with the psychological impact of the crisis. The static governmental mechanism also fails to work well with existing organic and flexible governance practices at a local level. This article thus suggests the importance of underscoring the need for efforts to decentralise and re-democratise political systems and suggests the practice of ‘safety participation’ to better articulate and integrate the essential relationships between science, politics and citizens

Coping (psychology · Corporate governance · Democracy · Economics · Government (linguistics · Management · Political science · Political system · Politics · Psychotherapist · Public relations · Rationality · COVID-19 epidemiological studies · Law · Psychology · Public Administration · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies

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Open DOIOpen Access