As governments worldwide race to shut down their societies to stop the spread of coronavirus and prevent their health-care systems from collapsing, the decisive actor will be the individual.
Italy, which surpassed China last week as the country with the most coronavirus deaths, is showing that no amount of forceful edicts from capitals to stay home will be effective unless citizens heed them.
Governments will play a big role in keeping the world economy afloat, with massive fiscal interventions and by mobilizing the resources that hospitals need.
They can call out their armies and police if needed to ensure compliance. And leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau can set examples by putting