Solving the Collection Action Problem: Taiwan, New Zealand and the COVID-19 Battle

Abstract

How have Taiwan and New Zealand been able to effectively manage the COVID-19 crisis, while other countries have done poorly? This essay argues that Taiwan’s and New Zealand’s adroit responses to and management of the pandemic crisis can be attributed to two critical factors-political leadership and political communication. The study offers a theoretical framework based on issue definition, suggesting that the leaderships’ ability to move and control the rhetoric by contracting the issue space as well as the leaderships’ effective communication of the preferred narrative are significant factors in these two countries’ effective pandemic responses.