2020 Editorial Committee ii Acknowledgements Firstly, we would like to pay respect to the Algonquin people, who are the traditional guardians of this land. We acknowledge their long-standing relationship with this territory, which remains unceded. We pay respect to all Indigenous peoples in this region, from all nations across Canada, who call Ottawa home. We acknowledge the traditional knowledge keepers, both young and old. And we honour their courageous leaders: past, present, and future. This issue would not be made possible without the support from the University of Ottawa who have provided us with the unique opportunity to partake in this journey and create the issue. Given the pandemic, this issue was produced under unique circumstances, but with the support of Professor Daniel Stockemer, we have had the opportunity to collaborate and connect with our peers to produce this journal despite the challenging times. Professor Stockemer's expertise and guidance was essential to producing a successful issue and we would like to extend an immense thank you to him for continuing and adapting this course through the unique circumstances. We would also like to thank the undergraduate academics who were involved in the process of publishing the 2021 issue, especially during the unprecedented times of the COVID- 19 pandemic. It is because of their hard work and dedication to research that the editorial team have been able to publish UJPPS: Politics in the Pandemic. iii Introduction Established in 2018, the Undergraduate Journal of Politics, Policy and Society (UJPPS) is an emerging interdisciplinary academic journal that publishes peer-reviewed work of undergraduate students in the social sciences and humanities. The journal provides a platform for aspiring academics to gain experience in publishing, research, and critical thinking; meanwhile, contributing to current debates and discussions in their disciplines. Not limited to one border, the issue features authors from around the world, including Australia, Canada, and the United States. The theme for the 2021 issue is Politics in the Pandemic. We were looking for research papers that discussed the complexities of the pandemic, international policy, and its threat to global health and stability. As of today, the pandemic has infected almost 75 million people and is approaching 2 million deaths (Johns Hopkins University, 2020). Due to these staggering numbers and their inevitable impacts across the world, the 2021 issue aimed to analyze shifts in the political, social, economic, and environmental spheres by exploring the multiple transformative policy dynamics that have accompanied the virus. We started the process of creating the journal in September 2020 by sending calls for papers to universities across the globe—searching for academic writing that discussed the relevant political topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic. First and foremost, seeking relevant papers that adequately fit the theme of politics and the pandemic was our top priority. Our editorial process included various steps of peer review in order to ensure that the issue delivers compelling and comprehensive research. We selected submissions which included discussions of how COVID-19 has influenced technology and media; globalization and anti-globalization debates; global health; economic development; elections and leadership; liberty and democracy; governance and administration; as well as policing and marginalization. iv The opening article, “The Internet is Not a Land Beyond Law”: Digital interactions between state and society during China’s Covid-19 pandemic”, written by Tyler Lynch, examines internet use in China by both the CCP government and society during the COVID-19 outbreak. The author argues that there is a dynamic equilibrium in their internet relations during the pandemic whereby “public expression is controlled by government censorship, and state control is mitigated by popular outcry.” To prove this, Lynch uses a media content analysis backed by a literature review to analyze the way the internet has been used for popular protest and how the CCP responds. In sum, the author argues against a one-sided argument of either total state censorship or complete freedom of expression but rather a consistent interaction of both ends (hence “dynamic equilibrium”). Following this is the article, “Evaluating the Effectiveness of China’s Virus Diplomacy” written by Sabine Singh and Matthew Kacki. This article grapples with China’s diplomatic response to the virus, and how the CCP has used various forms of propaganda alongside “virus” and “boycott” diplomacy to improve their legitimacy within mainland China and with the international community. Singh and Kacki evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies used by China and argue that while they have been relatively successful within mainland China, they have failed to make significant progress in gaining favour with the international community. Thirdly, “Elections and Leadership: The Impact of Coronavirus on the Democratic Process”, by Matthew Rainsford and John-James Blanchette, follows a real-time inquiry into the political ramifications of COVID-19. They discuss the partial disruption of democratic systems and the processes behind them, as well as the dwindling of voter turnout and general trust towards electoral systems. The authors coin this a ‘democratic deficit’, which they apply to a preceding case: the 1918 Spanish Flu. Nonetheless, the authors explore how, despite the v pandemic creating real challenges for the electoral system, it has benefited some political leaders. The fourth article entitled “How Trump’s failed COVID-19 Response Made Progressive Policies Mainstream” written by Derek Wong, delves into the Trump administration’s lack of preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic and the American public’s shift in favor of progressive policies. The author posits that an Overton window has resulted in the once majority republican nation and citizens are gradually looking to democratic policies, such as Medicare- For-All and Universal Basic Income, as solutions to aid American’s for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis. The author explores compelling fields such as worker’s rights, disproportionality, and accessible housing to investigate a mainstream shift towards progressive policies and collects relevant poll data to justify theory. Indeed, the author acknowledges that American’s are recognizing the need to protect their footing in society, particularly during global calamity. The journal continues with its fifth article, “The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Human-Nature Relations” by Tegan Jones, Georgia Mansell and Cecile Moylan. This paper provides a unique lens to understand the impact of the pandemic on global environmental politics. The authors argue that the anthropocentric response to COVID-19 will cause further harm to the environment, but also sustain an environment where zoonotic diseases may continue to spread. The solution must thus be to break free from the normative framework, that is, the anthropocentric norm, and embrace a holistic ecocentric approach. The sixth article, “How have marginalized communities been affected by the pandemic?”, written by Estelle Rillstone, investigates the severe shortcomings of the Australian aged care system, and focuses on the question: why are problems with Australia’s aged care vi system being neglected? International discourse surrounding innovative models of care and whole-of-system approaches are examined, alongside close consideration of economic and social policy in Australia and globally. This paper highlights the structural and ideological fluidity that has been sparked by the global health crisis, while emphasizing the role of social workers as key advocates for older people throughout all levels of policy and delivery to come. The seventh article “Buying Local Initiatives in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Their Effectiveness” discusses the local, regional, and national governments throughout Canada that have employed ‘buy local’ initiatives to address the negative economic impacts in the midst of the pandemic. Evelyne Verrette analyzes traditional and contemporary costs and benefits of these initiatives using a case-study of Quebec through two surveys conducted in the summer of 2020. The results of the research indicate that main benefits associated with ‘buy local’ initiatives range from job creation to employment stability, while costs include decline in gains from trade to exporting countries. The findings showcase concern about the local economy that results in willingness to pay price premiums. The eighth paper is “The Importance of Maintaining Connection for the Mental Health of Older Adults in Residential Aged Care: Lessons From COVID-19” by Rachel Sami, addresses the impact that COVID-19 isolation guidelines have had (and continue to have) on the mental health of older adults in residential aged care facilities. The author examines what policy changes must take place in order to holistically address the needs of this vulnerable population; ultimately suggesting the implementation of emancipatory, person-centred, and biopsychosocial practices in order to combat social isolation, loneliness, and negligent and abusive care. The ninth paper entitled “Pushed Back into Poverty: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Global Poor”, by Ryan Huynh, examines the literature on the state of extreme vii poverty before the COVID-19 pandemic and presents a comparative analysis