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POSC100: AMERICAN GOVERNMENT HURRICANE KATRINA AND A FEDERAL SYSTEM: WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE?

Draw on the class discussions, videos and supplementary materials on Titanium to answer these questions:

1. In what did the government fail to adequately respond to Hurricane Katrina? Which level(s) of government failed?____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

2. Consider your expectations about the federal government’s role in disaster management and relief efforts before these classes. How did your expectations of the federal government match up with its actual role? Should the Federal Government be more involved in disaster relief and planning? Should they be in charge? _______________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

3. By considering their responsibilities and the agencies available, upon reflection, which level of government— local, state or federal government—do you believe was most at fault for not effectively responding to the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina? Why? ______ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

4. The role of the federal government in Disaster Relief is fiercely contested, especially in the South. For the South, federal government intervention in aspects of government like law enforcement and transportation reeks of the Reconstruction and Civil Rights eras. For example, in the Washington Post just a month after Hurricane Katrina hit, Florida Governor Jeb Bush (R) argued that:

The most effective response is one that starts at the local level and grows with the support of surrounding communities, the state and then the federal government. The bottom-up approach yields the best and quickest results--saving lives, protecting property and getting life back to normal as soon as possible. Furthermore, when local and state governments understand and follow emergency plans appropriately, less taxpayer money is needed from the federal government for relief. (September 30, 2005)

Do you think the events of Hurricane Katrina bear Bush’s claim to be true? _____________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

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5. In thinking about broader values about government (freedom, equality, order etc), why do you think Democrats are more likely to prefer to make policy at the national level? Why are Republicans more likely to prefer to leave policymaking to state and local governments?_____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

6. Why might Louisianan Democrats—like Senator Mary Landreiu or former Governor Kathleen Blanco—be resistant to a greater federal role in disaster management? (Hint: think about Lousiana’s history and cultural heritage)________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

7. How did conflicts between the national government and state and local governments contribute to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina? Why do you think federalism broke down in that case?__________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

8. Could it be argued that at its core, the Hurricane Katrina debacle shows that in a stressful, unexpected event, the potential for confusion and for failure in the American federal system is high? What do you think of that argument? _______________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

9. Is occasional governmental failure in the face of unexpected events an inherent consequence of a federal system in which government is deliberately designed and understood to be inefficient? __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

10. What do you think of the concentration of power over disaster management in FEMA and the federal government since Hurricane Katrina? Is this a natural progression of federalism? ___________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________