Based on case studies from China, Saudi Arabia, the UK and US, this uses novel analysis of public discourse to measure whether pandemics favour authoritarianism and erode democracies.

In December 2019, China reported the first COVID cases to the World Health Organization going on to impose lockdowns as early as January 2020. Saudi Arabia announced national curfews after only a few hundred cases, under threat of fines and jailtime. By mid-March, the UK too, went into its first lockdown. But how did COVID-19 go on to impact different political regimes - did it support authoritarianism and did it erode democracy? In this book, Due-Gundersen discusses what elements of political legitimacy world leaders drew on to justify COVID restrictions. It traces the history of how China, Saudi Arabia, Britain and the United States responded to previous pandemics and to what extent leaders in power attempted to centralize their authority in the years leading up to COVID. Through analysis of public discourse given in response to COVID and to vaccine development, Due-Gundersen uses novel methodology to measure political legitimacy and political persuasion to reveal how COVID affected democratic and non-democratic legitimacy.

"Covidocracy" is required reading for understanding past and future pandemics. The volume dives deeply into the history, politics, and aetiology of coronaviruses to draw a more complete picture. By describing the varied responses to COVID 19 in four countries that impacted the legitimacy of governments and corporations, it demonstrates the essentiality of international cooperation. - Jerome Krase, Professor, CUNY, USA

"Covidocracy reignites a crucial discourse on the politics and political theory of health and medicine, revitalizing a conversation that held prominence in the 1950-70s but had been side-lined into closed technical policy dialogues until the advent of Covid, thrusted it back into the spotlight. An inspiring dialogue with the classical works of Michael Foucault, Erving Goffman, and Sigmund Freud, this book emerges as an insightful addition to the once rich tapestry of critical scholarship in the field." - Hesham Shafick, German International University, Germany

"Nicolai Due-Gundersen's Covidocracy is a timely reflection of how the Covid-19 contagion mobilised governments and the citizenry into action. In dissecting pandemic politics, this important contribution reveals a web of persuasion, penalties, and public protection during trying times. A worthy read." - Clemens Chay, National University Singapore, Singapore