How do state authorities act under existential uncertainty? Hypotheses on the social logic of political decision-making processes during the Coronavirus pandemic

Klaus Kraemer

doi:10.5771/2566-7742-2022-1-5

Contents
- Chapter Expand | CollapseAuthorsPage
- Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis
- 1–4 Editorial Monika Eigmüller, Klarissa Lueg, Vincent Gengnagel Monika Eigmüller, Klarissa Lueg, Vincent Gengnagel 1–4
- 5–121 Articles 5–121
  - 5–36 How do state authorities act under existential uncertainty? Hypotheses on the social logic of political decision-making processes during the Coronavirus pandemic Klaus Kraemer Klaus Kraemer 5–36
  - 37–67 COVID-19 related social media use and attitudes towards pandemic control measures in Europe Monika Verbalyte, Monika Eigmüller Monika Verbalyte, Monika Eigmüller 37–67
  - 68–99 From order to chaos. How the Brexit economic expert discourse articulates structural dissolution in times of COVID-19 crisis Jens Maesse, Thierry Rossier Jens Maesse, Thierry Rossier 68–99
  - 100–121 Integrationists, Critical Europeanists and Pessimist Europeanists: EU attitudes among students in a German university Céline Teney, Juan Deininger, Josefine Zurheide Céline Teney, Juan Deininger, Josefine Zurheide 100–121
- 122–145 Essays 122–145
  - 122–135 What can science do in the face of pandemics? Alexander Bogner Alexander Bogner 122–135
  - 136–145 Mobility policy as pandemic policy. The Schengen regime in the Corona crisis. Georg Vobruba Georg Vobruba 136–145
- 146–158 Research notes 146–158
  - 146–151 The corporate making of history: History communication of organizations as research subject Klarissa Lueg, Trine Susanne Johansen Klarissa Lueg, Trine Susanne Johansen 146–151
  - 152–158 Are European borders green? Notes on the need for research approaches and policy measures to deal with the reality of borders when implementing green transitions Søren Tinning, Dorte Jagetic Andersen Søren Tinning, Dorte Jagetic Andersen 152–158
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Culture, Practice & Europeanization , page 5 - 36

How do state authorities act under existential uncertainty? Hypotheses on the social logic of political decision-making processes during the Coronavirus pandemic

Autoren

Klaus Kraemer

DOI
- doi.org/10.5771/2566-7742-2022-1-5
- ISSN online: 2566-7742
Abstract

After a critical examination of the rational model of politics, this article discusses an alternative explanatory model in order to better understand and explain state response patterns and decision-making processes for containing the Coronavirus pandemic in its various phases from a sociological perspective. In doing so, I draw on central considerations of political sociology and organisational studies in order to reconstruct the social logic of the (non-)action of state authorities with special regard to the case examples of Germany and Austria (action under radical uncertainty, expert delegation, isomorphism of state action, path dependency of decisions, promissory legitimacy, collective morality of the “anxiety community” as a social driver of pandemic management). The article concludes with some general considerations on the vaccination exit strategy as well as on the problem of strategic ignorance and the logic of performative-symbolic action by state decision-makers.
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