The COVID-DEM Infohub is a global project that curates and publishes analysis on how COVID-19 is impacting on democratic rule worldwide. Launched by Associate Professor Tom Gerald Daly on 3 April 2020, the project operates to bring the best minds and ideas together to chart problems and solutions by helping democracy analysts worldwide track, compile and share information.

Access the Infohub here

COVID-DEM focuses on the immediate, medium-term, and long-term impacts of the pandemic on democracy. The immediate impacts are already being seen as parliamentary sittings have been adjourned and governments are exercising extraordinary emergency powers. Even after the immediate crisis ends, we will need to scrutinise the medium-term state response (e.g. use of surveillance apps) and address pressing questions about the long-term impacts across the world, including whether our institutions are outmoded, whether economic shock will fuel populism or social unrest, and whether the crisis can lead to positive democratic reforms.

WHAT WE DO

The COVID-DEM Infohub content is curated by the lead, Dr Daly, and a small team (currently all volunteers). The project, which builds on the existing Democratic Decay & Renewal (DEM-DEC) platform, pursues an innovative model for pooling and maximising expertise globally, by drawing on the lead’s extensive global network, across policy and academia, and allowing users worldwide to upload content, which is reviewed by the team before posting.

The Infohub contains eight sections providing access to:

  • databases

  • academic research

  • policy analysis

  • media analysis

  • podcasts

  • webinars

  • videos, and

  • a ‘super blog’ curating analysis from over thirty blogs globally.

The Infohub focuses on the following themes:

  • Alternative governance (e.g. online parliaments)

  • Democratic rights and freedoms

  • Elections

  • Emergency powers

  • Power grabs

  • Democracy versus authoritarianism in the fight against COVID-19

  • Democratic reform

To date, the Infohub has been accessed by thousands of users in over 110 States and we have active (non-financial) partnerships with leading organisations including the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) . We are now seeking funding to expand our activities.