In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world have introduced a variety of measures aimed at reducing the spread of the virus. Many of these measures impact severely on the everyday life of individuals and on economic activity. The longer these restrictions remain in place, the worse the long-term outcome will be in terms of prosperity, well-being, and economic development. This is a crucial time to defend the values of liberty against creeping authoritarianism. As such, the necessity of scrutinizing governments’ actions are now highlighted more than ever.
By looking at this map, correct as of April 30, 2020, we can observe the different levels of impact on civil liberties in the response of each government during this crisis. Throughout most of the world, it is clear that extreme and unprecedented top-down measures have been adopted. However, restrictions in some countries are noticeably less severe. When considering the statistics for infection and mortality rates for COVID-19, it is apparent that there is no clear correlation between the severity of state-imposed restrictions and more favorable outcomes. This would raise certain questions around the justifications for the continued implementation of such extreme measures, given the unprecedented threat posed to the future of a free and prosperous society.
Students For Liberty’s COVID-19 government regulatory response map (correct as of April 30, 2020), was created with the help of our vast global network of student leaders. To view the map, click on the button below.
