Opinion: How to Practice Social Distancing While Helping the Economy

Originally published in The Washington Post on March 16, 2020. Below is an excerpt from the article:

Our economy runs on mutual interdependence. As we spend time in self-isolation, let’s think about all the people who depend on us to make a living: the Lyft driver, the dry cleaner, the child-care provider, the barista at the coffee shop. As everything from sports games to evenings out with friends gets canceled because of covid-19, economic activity is grinding to a halt.

People are starting to practice not only social distancing but also economic distancing, which leaves a lot of people — especially the most economically vulnerable — in the lurch. It’s easy to feel powerless watching the human toll mount. What can we do to make a difference when we’re stuck at home, disconnected both socially and economically?

Susan Athey is a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a board member of Innovations for Poverty Action. Dean Karlan is a professor at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and founder of Innovations for Poverty Action.

Read the entire article here.