Authoritarian leaders around the world are exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to concentrate powers, restrict civil liberties, weaken opposition rights, and undermine democratic checks and balances. Fighting the “invisible enemy” requires emergency powers, they argue, and democratic safeguards—including judicial oversight, open elections, and freedom of the press—hinder a government’s effective response to the growing public health crisis. 

Join regional experts from the Einaudi Center—all faculty in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences—as we discuss government responses to the pandemic and their implications for democratic rule, including new developments in Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.

The webinar is hosted by Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and the Institute of Politics and Global Affairs, part of Global Cornell.

Register now

Moderator: Rachel Beatty Riedl, Director, Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies; Department of Government (Africa)

Panelists:

• Mabel Berezin, Institute for European Studies; Department of Sociology (Europe)
• Thomas Pepinsky, Director, Southeast Asia Program; Department of Government (Southeast Asia)
• Kenneth Roberts, Director, Latin American Studies Program; Department of Government (Latin America)