Economic and Social Crisis Responses in Multi-Level Systems: Does Intergovernmental Coordination Matter?

Abstract During crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, intergovernmental coordination is widely regarded as crucial for successful crisis responses in multi-level systems. To explore how intergovernmental coordination shapes crisis responses in multi-level systems, we compare the most important economic and social measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. By analyzing economic and social measures in different types of multi-level systems with varying degrees of decentralization and different intergovernmental frameworks, the article seeks to generate insights on crisis responses in multi-level systems that apply beyond pandemics to other crises such as financial and economic shocks. The analysis does not reveal differences in the accountability, efficacy, and effectiveness of policymaking between measures that are strongly coordinated or not coordinated. However, in decentralized countries weak coordination is associated with less successful crisis responses.