Dynamics of decision under extreme uncertainty: Scientific advice and policy learning during coronavirus crisis

Medical experts and government science advisors have become the rock stars of the COVID-19 crisis, often eclipsing political leaders in prominence as countries struggle to devise strategies to contain the coronavirus. But to what extent can and should expert advice inform decision making when factual evidence in a fluid situation is scarce, and scientific understanding of a novel virus is far from comprehensive? Prof. Arjen Boin, a leading crisis management and public administration scholar, joins the podcast to discuss the dynamics of decision making in the particularly complex case of COVID-19, as well as how policymakers are attempting to learn from the more or less effective efforts of other countries in combating the pandemic.