The battle against the coronavirus has proved a challenge for democratic nations around the world, as leaders resort to extraordinary measures to contain the outbreak. American and European heads of government have pushed up against the limits of their authority, justifying the actions as wartime leadership, but have struggled to act agile enough within the scope of their power.
Meanwhile, Communist Party-ruled China quickly put severe measures into place, sometimes at the expense of liberty and private rights. This has led to claims that authoritarian governments are more successful at dealing with the pandemic.
