Political scientist Gustavo A. Flores-Macías compares the economic consequences of COVID-19 to the 2008-09 recession. The pandemic, he says, will result in a poorer and more unequal U.S. society, and it highlights the importance of solutions that require collaboration across borders. Flores-Macías is associate professor of government in the College of Arts and Sciences and associate vice provost for international affairs. His research focuses on the politics of economic reform and on taxation and state capacity.