Catholic Social Teaching on the State and the Common Good: Factors Weakening US Congress’s Regulation for Big Pharma During COVID-19

Abstract

AbstractUsing the principles of Catholic social teaching (CST) to examine the role of the state in regulating the economy and market and on the common good as well as utilizing some secondary data, church documents, media reports, and scientific research on medical markets, COVID-19 vaccines and medicines, and corruption, this chapter explores the major conditions that can lead to lack of regulating Big Pharma’s overpricing and profiteering during the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective government intervention aimed at protecting the public good requires an independent government regulation based on the rule of law untainted with corruption and conflict of interests. Huge campaign contributions by Big Pharma to lawmakers holding sensitive positions in health legislation, conflicts of private and public interests among lawmakers, and the revolving door practice are among the major conditions that facilitate legislative corruption. The result is the weakening of Congress’s regulation against Big Pharma’s profit-driven pricing of their anti-COVID vaccines and medicines. This chapter recommends new legislation to address the conditions that facilitate legislative corruption, conflict of interest, and revolving door policies as well as active monitoring and lobbying of civil society groups to pressure Congress to shun legislative corruption and protect the common good during COVID-19.KeywordsCatholic social teachingCommon goodGovernment regulationCOVID-19 pandemicRole of state in economyCapitalismBig PharmaCorruption