  We examine COVID-19-related states of emergency (SOEs) using data on 180
countries in the period January 1 through June 12, 2020. The results suggest
that states' declaration of SOEs is driven by both external and internal
factors. A permissive regional environment, characterized by many and
simultaneously declared SOEs, may have diminished reputational and political
costs, making employment of emergency powers more palatable for a wider range
of governments. At the same time, internal characteristics, specifically
democratic institutions and pandemic preparedness, shaped governments'
decisions. Weak democracies with poor pandemic preparedness were considerably
more likely to opt for SOEs than dictatorships and robust democracies with
higher preparedness. We find no significant association between pandemic
impact, measured as national COVID-19-related deaths, and SOEs, suggesting that
many states adopted SOEs proactively before the disease spread locally.
