Some legislatures have held governments to account during COVID-19. But not all

By Nic Cheeseman, Professor of Democracy, University of Birmingham
Rebecca Gordon, Research Fellow in Leadership for Inclusive and Democratic Politics, University of Birmingham

The coronavirus pandemic has gone hand-in-hand with considerable democratic backsliding. According to a new study, democratic freedoms were undermined in 83 countries from March to September 2020. This should concern all of us. Oversight and accountability during the COVID-19 pandemic are essential for both the public and democratic health of a nation.

We set out to explore the role that legislatures played in responding to COVID-19. In…

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