Multi-Level Governance, Policy Coordination and Subnational Responses to COVID-19: Comparing China and the US

Abstract

The study adopted the multi-level governance theory for a comparative analysis of how the structure and modes of policy coordination shaped subnational policy responses to COVID-19 in Hubei Province, China, and New York State, USA. It was found that both countries showed a hybrid form of vertical and horizontal coordination in COVID-19 responses despite different political systems. Hubei depended more on vertical steering and horizontal support whereas New York took the primary coordinating role while a nationwide strategy was missing. Contingent upon each country’s political legacy, effective multi-level governance in crisis responses should balance national leadership with local autonomy and societal engagement.

Keywords:

• multi-level governance
• COVID-19
• policy coordination
• subnational government
• comparative policy analysis

Supplementary Material

Supplementary data for this article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1080/13876988.2021.1873703.

Notes

1. For the content analysis, we collected the transcripts of daily press briefings hosted by the Hubei provincial government (http://www.hubei.gov.cn/hbfb/xwfbh/index_10.shtml) and by the New York state government (https://www.governor.ny.gov/news).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Office for Philosophy and Social Sciences, P.R.China [20ZDA042]; Tsinghua University Spring Breeze Fund [20203080031]; Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program [2019THZWJC03].

Notes on contributors

Zhilin Liu

Zhilin Liu is an Associate Professor and the Director of Public Policy Institute in the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. Her main research interests are in urban policy and governance with specific emphasis on social equity and sustainable development (Email: [email protected]).

Jing Guo

Jing Guo is an Associate Professor in the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work (MBT SSW), University of Hawaii at Mānoa, USA. Her research centers on comparative social policy with specific emphasis on family and child policy with specific emphasis on family and child policy (Email: [email protected]).

Wei Zhong

Wei Zhong is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. Her research focuses on public health and crisis governance, policy informatics and simulation (Email: [email protected]).

Tianhan Gui

Tianhan Gui is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. Her research focuses on development program evaluation, social impact assessment, and gender inequality (Email: [email protected]).