PANDEMIC POLITICS: Governors, Power, and Public Policy | BINGE THINKING BOS

Welcome to Binge Thinking. We invite professors and experts to give lectures in bars around Boston, NYC, and DC!In a world of AI slop, doomscrolling and brainrot, Binge Thinking brings real experts into real places for nights of learning, conversation, and community.Think Responsibly. TOPIC: Pandemic Politics: Governors, Power, and PolicySPEAKER: Dr. Peter Federman, UMass Boston Remember when government was famously slow? Then COVID-19 showed up, and suddenly governors were changing everyday life overnight with the stroke of a pen. When a crisis hits, the usual slow and careful lawmaking process gets tossed out the window, and power shifts fast toward the executive. Between February and June 2020 alone, states rolled out over 1,200 pandemic-related executive orders, with thousands more to come. Lockdowns, mask mandates, business closures: all of it came down to a handful of officials making huge calls in real time. In this talk, Dr. Peter Federman digs into how states responded, why their approaches looked so different, and what it all means for the next emergency (and for democracy itself). Topics include: How crises shift power from legislatures to governors What 1,200+ executive orders in just a few months actually looked like Why some states locked down hard while others barely did Whether these rapid-fire decisions actually saved lives How much power executives should really have in an emergency What pandemic policymaking means for democracy going forward It's the behind-the-scenes story of the decisions that shaped your 2020, from someone who has studied them up close. About the Speaker Dr. Peter Federman is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Public Affairs at UMass Boston, where he studies how politics shape the behavior of policymakers and public institutions. He earned his B.A. in Child Development from Tufts University, his M.P.A. from John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY), and his Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Kansas. His research spans public health, public safety, and bureaucratic decision-making, including work on executive decision-making during COVID-19 published in leading journals such as Public Administration Review and Publius: The Journal of Federalism. He has taught across multiple policy and public affairs programs. Agenda7:00 PM - Doors Open (Grab a seat and drinks!)7:30 PM - Lecture Begins8:10 PM - Audience Q&A8:30 PM - Drinks & Conversation9:00 PM - Event Ends Join us and grab a drink as we unpack who really called the shots during COVID. Were governors saving lives or just grabbing power?