The COVID-19 pandemic has placed remarkable stress on all aspects of society, from health care and the economy to the psychological well-being of communities. While the crisis is still playing out in the United States and around the world, it is nevertheless appropriate to begin to assess its impact. This article asks: What documentable public failures provide a deeper understanding of the U.S. government COVID-19 responses’ impact on supply chains? Case examples show that markets were adversely affected in ways that caused avoidable shortages of critical goods and supplies. Moreover, public procurement effectiveness was likely reduced by short-run efforts to obtain political advantage. The article begins with a brief review of disaster procurement, highlighting how public procurement professionals tried to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next section delineates three politically led phenomena that adversely impacted procurement’s ability to acquire the needed goods and services, including a lack of cohesive strategy in acquiring essential personal protective equipment; preference for unproven drugs and magical thinking; and cozy relationships between the public and private sectors. The article concludes by discussing the centrality of public sector procurement professionals as a critical link for effective provision of government services, especially in times of crisis.

中文翻译：

---

COVID-19 大流行期间的供应链操纵、虚假陈述和神奇思维

COVID-19 大流行给社会的各个方面带来了巨大的压力，从医疗保健和经济到社区的心理健康。尽管这场危机仍在美国和世界各地上演，但开始评估其影响是适当的。本文询问：哪些可记录的公共失败有助于更深入地了解美国政府 COVID-19 响应对供应链的影响？案例表明，市场受到不利影响，导致关键商品和供应品出现可避免的短缺。此外，为获得政治优势而进行的短期努力可能会降低公共采购的有效性。本文首先简要回顾了灾难采购，重点介绍了公共采购专业人员如何应对 COVID-19 大流行。下一节描述了三个政治主导的现象，它们对采购获得所需商品和服务的能力产生了不利影响，包括在采购基本个人防护设备方面缺乏统一的战略；偏爱未经证实的药物和神奇的思维；以及公共和私营部门之间的亲密关系。本文最后讨论了公共部门采购专业人员作为有效提供政府服务的关键环节的中心地位，尤其是在危机时期。以及公共和私营部门之间的亲密关系。本文最后讨论了公共部门采购专业人员作为有效提供政府服务的关键环节的中心地位，尤其是在危机时期。以及公共和私营部门之间的亲密关系。本文最后讨论了公共部门采购专业人员作为有效提供政府服务的关键环节的中心地位，尤其是在危机时期。