New Zealand Gives U.S. a Lesson in Pandemic Democracy
The U.S. could learn from a country that runs elections — and Covid-19 policy — with maturity.
Strong Covid-19 policies help keep democracy healthy.
Photographer: Dom Thomas/Pool/Getty
What if the coronavirus pandemic delayed an election and no one cared?
That’s pretty much what’s happening in New Zealand, where Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern appears to be cruising toward victory in an election this Saturday after rival politicians sought postponement from the original Sept. 19 date. At a time when America is tearing itself apart over the crises of Covid-19 and a president who’s refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power after earlier calling to set back the vote itself, the spectacle of a nation tackling the same problems with calm consensus seems extraordinary.