The Lives or Livelihoods? The Coronavirus Dilemma for Administrations

CASS Working Papers on Economics & National Affairs 2020

11 Pages Posted: 26 Apr 2020

See all articles by Usman W. Chohan

Usman W. Chohan

Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS); Critical Blockchain Research Initiative (CBRI); International Association of Hyperpolyglots (HYPIA); University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Date Written: April 24, 2020

Abstract

The Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has fomented a moral crisis for administrations struggling to choose between “lives” and “livelihoods”, i.e. between mitigating the public health fallout and averting an economic depression. The challenge is being met, and public value trade-off addressed, using a variety of approaches across countries. This working paper draws attention to this dilemma of lives v. livelihoods, arguing that attitudinal, developmental, and structural factors weight down upon the administrative praxis of maintaining two conflicting opposed public values.

Keywords: coronavirus, covid19, pandemic, economics, crisis, public value

Suggested Citation

Chohan, Usman W., The Lives or Livelihoods? The Coronavirus Dilemma for Administrations (April 24, 2020). CASS Working Papers on Economics & National Affairs 2020 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3584726 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3584726

Usman W. Chohan (Contact Author)

Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS) ( email )

Islamabad
Pakistan

Critical Blockchain Research Initiative (CBRI) ( email )

International Association of Hyperpolyglots (HYPIA) ( email )

HYPIA
www.polyglotassociation.org
Montreal, Quebec
Canada

University of New South Wales (UNSW) ( email )

Kensington
High St
Sydney, NSW 2052
Australia

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