Guest editorial

What the paper says

The COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health crisis that generated an economic crisis and various policy implications.In response, over the next several years' rigorous social science research will investigate the immediate and long-term social, political and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.In addition, the pandemic's complex consequences targeted individuals and vulnerable communities, which require a better understanding through rigorous research and analysis.Review of Economics and Political Science in this issue is starting its special publication about this pandemic that started last year, and there are no signals for its end.Governments encountered hard decisions as to whether it is obliged to support the individuals and social groups negatively influenced by the pandemic.Actions of the governments have differed as COVID-19 posed serious questions for public policy and social justice in different countries.On the economic level, the pandemic has created lots of venues for research including how to get out of this crisis and what type of policies are better situated to handle the crisis and its aftermath, the impact on debt, international trade and to what extent the pandemic affected the poor and rich countries.On the political and international relations level, the crisis is likely to reshape the whole world order, with the expected rising tensions between China and the USA, the democratic versus autocratic regimes with different their abilities to handle the crisis, etc.The economic consequences and political are likely to last especially for those in lowwage jobs, those just entering the labor force and for poor countries.In this issue, some of the previous concerns are raised for further investigations.