Entangled Political Economy of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially altered economic, social, and political relationships. The relational consequences of the pandemic will be interrogated using the lens of “entangled political economy” (EPE). The EPE approach explicitly recognises human interactions generating complex economic-socio-political phenomena, yet COVID-19 clarifies the synergies between human, biological, and physical systems in maintaining both productive and healthy relations. The pandemic has induced powerful crisis responses, via governmental regulations and social norms, substantially depressing economic activity. Contrary to perceptions COVID-19 led to a state of economic “hibernation,” EPE theory suggests extensive re-entanglement of relationships that influence the robustness of productive economic exchange. The onset of the coronavirus pandemic has also escalated the significance of health care operations in the modern economy, entrenching health as a site for continuing governmental growth. EPE presents novel perspectives regarding the need to adapt, and ultimately mitigate, diseases threatening human life, liberty, property, and happiness.