Pandemic Politics: Governors, Power, and Public Policy

Join us and grab a drink as a public policy expert breaks down how power actually worked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Welcome to Binge Thinking! We host professors at local pubs to give talks on fascinating topics.

Topic: Pandemic Politics: Governors, Power, and Policy
Speaker: Dr. Peter Federman (UMass Boston, Public Policy & Public Affairs)

Dr. Peter Federman is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Public Affairs at UMass Boston, where he studies how politics shape the behavior of policymakers and public institutions. His research spans public health, public safety, and bureaucratic decision-making, with work published in leading journals including Public Administration Review and Publius. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Kansas and has taught across multiple policy and public affairs programs.

When COVID-19 hit, government didn’t move slowly. It moved fast!

In moments of crisis, the normal, deliberative process of policymaking breaks down and power shifts toward the executive. Governors and state officials were suddenly making rapid, high-stakes decisions through executive orders that affected millions of people overnight.

Between February and June 2020 alone, more than 1,200 pandemic-related executive orders were issued across the United States with thousands more to follow.

These decisions shaped everything from lockdowns and mask mandates to business closures and public safety measures.

But they also raise deeper questions.

How much power should executives have in a crisis?
Did these decisions actually save lives?
And what do they mean for democracy going forward?

Drawing on research into state-level policymaking during COVID-19, Dr. Federman will explore how different states responded, why their approaches varied, and what we can learn for the next emergency.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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