How Well Do They Manage a Crisis? The Government's Effectiveness During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Shlomo Mizrahi, Eran Vigoda-Gadot, Nissim Cohen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

52 Scopus citations

Abstract

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic clearly highlighted the importance of effective crisis management and its relationship with citizens’ willingness to cooperate with the government in such turbulent times. We develop a theory and hypotheses about the impact of citizens' experiences on their perceptions of the government's effectiveness during times of crisis. We do so with data collected at two points in time: in late March 2020 during the first peak of the COVID-19 crisis in Israel, and in October 2020 when Israel was exiting from a second lockdown. The findings demonstrate that during crises citizens focus on the short term and seek immediate results in terms of readiness and preparedness. During such times, the government's responsiveness and transparency, as well as the public's participation in decisions, seem even more important than their trust in the government. Implications and practical recommendations follow.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1120-1130
Number of pages11
JournalPublic Administration Review
Volume81
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Nov 2021
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Public Administration
  • Marketing

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