Exploring the Role of Adaptive Capacity on Democratic Performance (ERAC-DP): Governmental and Nonprofit Organizations in the Pandemic

  • Funded by National Science Foundation (NSF)
  • Total publications:0 publications

Grant number: 2217427

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Key facts

  • Disease

    COVID-19
  • Start & end year

    2022
    2025
  • Known Financial Commitments (USD)

    $199,999
  • Funder

    National Science Foundation (NSF)
  • Principal Investigator

    Thomas Bryer
  • Research Location

    United States of America, Canada
  • Lead Research Institution

    The University of Central Florida Board of Trustees
  • Research Priority Alignment

    N/A
  • Research Category

    Secondary impacts of disease, response & control measures

  • Research Subcategory

    Social impacts

  • Special Interest Tags

    N/A

  • Study Type

    Non-Clinical

  • Clinical Trial Details

    N/A

  • Broad Policy Alignment

    Pending

  • Age Group

    Unspecified

  • Vulnerable Population

    Unspecified

  • Occupations of Interest

    Unspecified

Abstract

This research project uses methods from several social sciences and comparative analysis to study how COVID-19 response policies can increase inequality, foster democratic governance, and political participation of vulnerable people. The research project will answer four questions: (i) what inequalities emerged for vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic? (ii) how did organizational adaptive capacities affect outcomes for vulnerable populations? (iii) how did adaptive capacities affect policy compliance of vulnerable populations? and (iv) what digital tools will facilitate a sustained collaboration (domestic and international) to enhance global and local action to reduce inequities and increase policy compliance? The study is based on case studies from Atlanta, GA, Montreal, Canada, Manchester, UK, and Warsaw Poland and uses a combination of theories from several social science fields and rich data collection and analyses. The results of this research project will help to answer important questions as to why groups are differentially affected by policies designed to help all and why policy compliance may differ across groups. The results could guide policy formulation and implementation during pandemics and other emergencies.

This research uses embedded case studies in four countries---Canada, Poland, UK, and the US---to study how COVID-19 pandemic policies affected inequalities, and how this in turn affected political activism and policy responses of different groups. Specifically, the project will try to answer four questions: (i) what inequalities emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic? (ii) how did adaptive capacities affect outcomes for vulnerable populations? (iii) how did adaptive capacities affect policy compliance by vulnerable populations? and (iv) what digital tools will facilitate sustained collaboration to enhance global and local action to reduce inequities and increase policy compliance? The research will answer these questions using a methodology that combines theories from several social and behavioral sciences. In addition to academic research, the PIs propose to engage diverse policy makers to improve the policy impact of the research project. By addressing the impact of policies on inequality and political participation, this research project will make significant contributions to social and behavioral science research on policy impacts generally. The research results of this research project will provide inputs into policies to reduce inequalities as well as enhance political participation.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.