Article Review: Contemporary Policy Issues Assignment for Module 8: Week 8
Michael C. Bland
Dr. William Bowen
Liberty University
PLCY 804-Summer 2022
July 1, 2022
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ANNOTATIONS
Annotation
Davis, Charles. "The West in flames: the intergovernmental politics of wildfire suppression and
prevention." Publius: The Journal of Federalism 31, no. 3 (2001): 97-110.
Although the article does not have a directly stated research question, it is clear that the
researcher was seeking to interrogate the changes in the U.S. intergovernmental legal
arrangements governing the control of wildfires (Davis 2001, 97). The methodology embraced in
this survey is that of a review of past articles and documents. The researcher extracts data from
sources that reveal a series of changes that have occurred in the intergovernmental policy. The
study reveals that for most of the 20th century, the fire policy resembled Deil S. Wright’s
inclusive authority where the federal government had great domination through the U.S. Forest
Service (Davis 2001, 97). However, recently, a shift has been enabled by the changes in land-use
preferences and residential patterns.
States and even public and private players have today become important in decision-
making regarding wildfires. Today, an approach that seems like an overlap model where multiple
governmental jurisdictions jointly make decisions regarding policies for controlling wildfire. A
major strength of this article is the referencing of data from scholarly materials to support claims
made by the author. The article is also easy to follow because it outlines a historical journey of
how the policies in question have evolved. The researcher does not only present a logical
argument but also supports it using solid evidence. The only weakness of the article is that the
knowledge it presents cannot be empirically proven. Unlike empirical studies, Davis’ article does
not offer to add new knowledge to the area of study. It does not employ a great detailed
demonstration that the presented data is based on adequate science. Instead, the information and
findings that are presented are based on past studies that have handled a related subject.
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Nevertheless, this weakness does not amount to a level that would have it dismissed as not
valuable for the subject.
Potoski, Matthew. "Clean air federalism: Do states race to the bottom?." Public Administration
Review 61, no. 3 (2001): 335-343.
The article presents results and analyses of a survey by the Council of State
Government’s State Air Pollution regarding the capability to clean air (Potoski 2001, 335). In this
regard, a major question that arises in this review is whether states exceed the U.S. EPA criteria-
pollutant standards. The researcher seeks to understand if the involvement of the states in the
management of pollution could yield better results for the country. The article is a review of a
past survey as well as its analyses using other secondary materials. Supportive pieces of data to
the author’s claims are retrieved from both the main survey that is being examined and past
studies. Major findings reveal that the states' laws exceed the U.S. EPA minimum criteria-
pollutant standards in three variables of ambient monitoring policies, new source performance
standards, and ambient air quality standards (Potoski 2001, 337).
This study relied on multivariate analyses as a tool that helped come to this conclusion.
The reliance on a dependable mode of analysis in this study is a major strength. The multivariate
approach allows for the consideration of multiple variables in making the final decision and
hence can be said to offer rich findings. The fact that this article is based on surveys that were
done in the past makes it weaker. One cannot apply empirical study methods to verify these
results in future research. Empirical research is a significant approach to systematic
investigation. It allows an investigator the ability to validity of various assumptions that have
been introduced in a survey. In this case, the examination of these assumptions takes the form of
hypotheses, hence allowing for a thorough examination before arriving at the final findings. Such
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an approach proves the results attained have a high level of accuracy. This is not possible for the
above article because it does not take a research approach.
SYNTHESIS
In policy, the connections between governments are an old concept. While the article by
Davis traces the policy to most part of the 20th century, Potoski shows a past occurrence where
most powers were assumed by the federal government. The domination of the federal
government in the policy arena is not dependable. Regarding wildfire, a policy based on
prevention is exemplified by California (Davis 2001, 110). This policy calls for property owners
and communities to provide a minimum distance of defensible between wooden areas and
structures (110). Both articles agree that there is a need for intergovernmental relationships in
formulating laws about nature. While one of the articles deals with wildfires, the other is based
on air pollution. Therefore, the recommendations made in each are inclined towards the well-
being of the natural environment.
Davis argues that U.S. policies, with the federal government being dominant, began with
a major emphasis on the suppression of wildfires instead of prevention of such occurrences.
However, as the researcher dictates, these earlier policies were not effective. They focused on a
hazardous event that has already taken place. In the current age, prevailing intergovernmental
arrangements are portrayed as consistent and cooperative with a motive for an inclusive authority
where the interests and views of various stakeholders are considered.
Both researchers agree that national policy can only serve to strengthen
intergovernmental relationships within the federal system and not exercise predomination.
Assuming a dominant position will not yield sustainable results in the long term. It is with the
recognition of the input of states and other state-based players that Congress enacted legislation
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that allows for the provision of training opportunities, equipment, and money to the state-based
efforts. Through the national policy, the federal government can strengthen intergovernmental
efforts through the provision of all necessary resources. The local organizations and state
governments already have mechanisms that are effective in addressing issues of wildfire and air
pollution. All that the national policy can do is complement initiatives that are being enforced at
the lower levels of the government. Davis (2001, 109) indicates that the national policy should
further strengthen the intergovernmental policies through provisions that allow for public
participation and comment. Furthermore, such provisions enhance the level of participation by
the states in the implementation and development of management plans. In particular, the
overlapping authority approach is an intergovernmental arrangement that best portrays the role of
states within the wildfire policy arena since the 1970s (Davis 2001, 109). The national policy
should also be supportive of an institutional arrangement that is based on a collaborative
resource-management process involving a diverse array of private and public stakeholders. This
approach, as the researcher indicates, gives more weight to the views of community leaders.
Davis (2001, 110) gives an example of the Quincy Library Group Forest Act of 1998 to support
his stand regarding this subject. This 1998 federal law allowed environmentalists, timber-
industry officials, a grassroots coalition of community leaders, and the Quincy Library Group the
power to make land-use recommendations targeting three national forests in California (Davis
2001, 110).
Furthermore, Patoski’s article supports the assertion that federal law should not
predominate the intergovernmental arrangements because based on the analyses of the
publication by the Council of State Government, the states’ ability to formulate their own
standards regarding clean air policy has not been overwhelmed by economic pressures (Patoski
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2001, 339). Furthermore, this analyst agrees with Davis' article by arguing that some states have
succeeded in exceeding the U.S. EPA minimum criteria for a variety of policy areas from
ambient monitoring to setting pollution standards. Furthermore, states discovered to have
stronger pro-environment political climates have a high likelihood to choose to exceed U.S. EPA
standards (Patoski 2001, 339). Therefore, one may conclude that a national directive grounded
on strict rules to be followed by all states would only yield poor results within the air pollution
policy arena. Such a directive would only hinder states from utilizing their full potential in
addressing the problem in question. Instead, states should be trusted with initiating and taking
part in the process of formulating context-appropriate environmental policies. Both articles assert
that public policy practitioners must engage state-level players as a means of ensuring that
intergovernmental policy arrangements are resourceful. There is no clear disagreement between
the two authors regarding the ability of the states to work with the federal government and other
private institutions to address issues that cut across borders like air pollution and wildfires.
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Bibliography
Davis, Charles. "The West in flames: the intergovernmental politics of wildfire suppression and
prevention." Publius: The Journal of Federalism 31, no. 3 (2001): 97-110.
Potoski, Matthew. "Clean air federalism: Do states race to the bottom?." Public Administration
Review 61, no. 3 (2001): 335-343.
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