The book examines the impact of COVID-19 on economic and political processes, contending that the global reaction to the pandemic has been the largest failure in scientific policy in a generation. Unlike earlier crises, it has impacted the world's leading economies while also paralyzing international ties, provoking diverse and far-reaching reactions. The authors posit that no effective global response has been launched in response to this global catastrophe. Rather, governments have implemented a variety of policies based on the costs of virus protection against financial closure and isolation. In doing so, there has been a resurgence in nationalism. This book aims to provide comprehensive understanding of how the pandemic has widened political gaps, and demarcates what the long-term consequences might be in terms of policies and economics in the wake of the pandemic. Of interest to scholars in political geography, development studies, international relations, public administration, and health science, this book presents key observations on existing theories of global politics pivoted around the COVID-19 pandemic, and its ramifications on individuals, groups, and ultimately, the nation state.

AKM Ahsan Ullah is Associate Professor in Geography, Environment and Development at the University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD). Dr Ullah's research portfolio includes stints at the Southeast Asian Research Centre (SEARC), Hong Kong; IPH, University of Ottawa, McMaster University; Saint Mary's University, and Dalhousie University, Canada; the American University in Cairo (AUC); City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Osnabruck University, Germany, and Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. His research areas include population migration, human rights, development, environment and health policy. Dr Ullah has contributed 60 scientific articles to refereed journals and at least 40 chapters in a number of books, and published 15 books.

Jannatul Ferdous is Associate Professor, Department of Public Administration, Comilla University, Bangladesh. Dr Ferdous received her bachelor, masters and MPhil in Public Administration from the University of Dhaka. Dr Ferdous contributed extensively to refereed journals and chapters in books. She published seven books. Her current interest includes governance, e-governance, trust, civil service system, gender, public policy, climate change, gender and development. Currently, she is serving as the Chair of the technical committee of the 'Combating Gender-Based Violence' project of UN Women. She is also serving as an assistant proctor of Comilla University.

Preface

Chapter 1

The Pandemic and Global Politics

Introduction

The politics of the origin-trace

Argument, objectives and methods

Political geography of the pandemic

Reshaping democratic space

A new world order

Conclusions

Chapter 2

Underlying Conceptual Approach

An Era or a Crisis?

Introduction

The origin theory discourse

Pandemic governance and security approach

Digital divide and growing disparity

Chapter 3

Introduction

What the history has to tell us

Reshaping compliance

The public health

The disparity

The politics of anti-mask and anti-vaccine

Conclusions

Chapter 4

Pandemic, Predictions and Propagation

Introduction

Politics and electoral system

The future globalization

The gainers and the losers

Getting ready for the future

Conclusions

Chapter 5

Choosing to End the Pandemic

Conclusions and Discussion

Implications for politics

Index