U.S. Disaster Policy: Oversight Challenges and the Promise of Multi-Level Governance

Authors

Nancy J. Knauer, Temple University Beasley School of Law

First Page

973

Abstract

U.S. disaster preparedness and response policy now plays an increasingly central role in the lives of many Americans. The COVID-19 pandemic and the strong uptick in extreme weather events have placed a heightened burden on our emergency management resources. In 2021, it seemed that hardly a week went by without a new emergency declaration as we battled devastating wildfires and drought in the West and catastrophic flooding and storms in the East. To further complicate matters, these unrelenting weather-related disasters played out within the context of an unprecedented and multi-year public health crisis—the COVID-19 pandemic. This Article examines the history and structure of U.S. disaster policy with a special emphasis on the oversight challenges present in its multi-tier and multi-sector governance structure. It draws on lessons from past disasters and insights from multi-level governance (MLG) theory to promote ways to ensure that U.S. disaster policy is effective, efficient, and equitable.

Recommended Citation

Nancy J. Knauer, U.S. Disaster Policy: Oversight Challenges and the Promise of Multi-Level Governance, 26 Lewis & Clark L. Rev. 973 (2023).
Available at: https://lawcommons.lclark.edu/lclr/vol26/iss4/2