This book examines why and how different countries developed different policy positions and responses to the COVID‑19 pandemic, particularly in the early phase, by surveying a sample of countries that are geographically, politically, and culturally diverse, particularly those representing the East and the West.

Exploring nine countries, namely four Western countries (Finland, Germany, United States, and Sweden) and five Asia‑Pacific countries (Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam), contributors to this comprehensive new book compare and contrast similarities and differences in political systems, (de)centralization, policy responses, citizen engagement, and other factors. Written by experts on public policy within each of the counties explored, the chapters investigate how policy responses may be linked to the spread of the virus and fatalities in each location, drawing lessons from those experiences. Coercive tools (border control, school closure, movement constraints), incentive tools (emergency assistance, economic boosting assistance), and informative and facilitative tools (public information campaigns for social distancing, mask wearing) are all explored. In addition to policy responses, other contributing factors are carefully weighed, including national health care systems, applications of digital technology, institutional arrangements and governance systems, and political and civic culture.

This book is required reading for undergraduate and graduate students interested in comparative public policy and public governance, as well as policy‑makers, government officials, and nonprofit workers in both developed and developing countries.