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Disaster Policy and Politics
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Disaster Policy and Politics
Emergency Management and Homeland Security

Third Edition


February 2019 | 632 pages | CQ Press
Disaster Policy and Politics combines evidence-based research with mini-case studies of recent events to demonstrate the fundamental principles of emergency management and to explore the impact that disasters have had on U.S. policy. Paying special attention to the role of key actors—decision makers at the federal, state, and local levels; scientists; engineers; civil and military personnel; and first responders—author Richard Sylves explores how researchers contribute to and engage in disaster policy development and management. The highly anticipated Third Edition explores the radical change in policy and politics after the occurrence of recent disasters such as hurricanes Irma, Maria, and Harvey; Hawaii's false nuclear attack warning; and responses to U.S. wildfires. The book’s comprehensive “all-hazards” approach introduces students to the important public policy, organizational management, and leadership issues they may need as future practitioners and leaders in the field.

 
Preface
 
About the Author
 
CHAPTER 1: Disaster Management in the United States
The Montecito Debris Flow Disaster

 
The Fundamentals

 
Emergency Management as a Profession

 
Disasters as a Field of Scientific Research

 
Presidential Disaster Declarations

 
Fundamental Challenges of Emergency Management

 
Phases of Emergency Management

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
CHAPTER 2: Theories and Approaches of Public Policy and Management Helpful in Disaster Studies
Normative Political Theories

 
The Role of Theory in Emergency Management

 
Theory in Disaster Recovery

 
Knowledge Codification and Knowledge Diffusion Issues

 
Big Data Analytics and Emergency Management

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
CHAPTER 3: A Short History of U.S. Disaster Policy
The Cold War and the Rise of Civil Defense

 
Nationwide Emergency Management

 
The Birth of the Federal Emergency Management Agency

 
Disaster Declaration Issues

 
Disaster Law, Policy, and Public Relations from Reagan to Clinton

 
All-Hazards Management

 
The 9/11 Attack Remakes U.S. Disaster Management

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
CHAPTER 4: Presidential Declarations of Major Disaster or Emergency
The U.S. Constitution and Emergency Powers of the President

 
The "Policies" and Laws That Established Presidential Disaster Declarations

 
The “Process” Followed in Requesting Presidential Declarations

 
The President's "Power" to Decide

 
The Significance of Post-9/11 Changes

 
The "Politics" of Presidential Declarations

 
"Paying" for Presidential Disaster Declarations

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
CHAPTER 5: The Role of Research, Science, and Engineering
Researching Hazards and Disasters

 
Disaster Researchers Compete for Government Funding

 
Social Sciences and Emergency Management

 
Science Informs the Policy and Politics of Disasters

 
Public Infrastructure Policy

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
CHAPTER 6: Intergovernmental Relations in Disaster Policy
Organization of the Chapter

 
Intergovernmental Program Management

 
The Frameworks and the National Incident Management System

 
Intergovernmental Disaster Management Challenges

 
Government Contractors and Disaster Management

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
CHAPTER 7: Civil-Military Relations and National Security
Civil Defense to Homeland Security

 
The Military's Role in Disaster Response and Recovery Efforts

 
The Military, Homeland Security, and Disaster Policy

 
The National Guard, the U.S. Armed Forces, and Posse Comitatus

 
Homeland Security Supplements National Security

 
State Homeland Security Grants

 
Operation Stonegarden

 
Homeland Security Grants and Their Effects at the Local Level

 
The Emergency Management Performance Grant Program

 
Replacement of the USA Patriot Act of 2001

 
The Homeland Security Advisory System

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
CHAPTER 8: Globalization of Disasters
The U.S. Response System for Territories and Foreign States

 
Emergency Management in Other Nations

 
The United Nations and International Disaster Relief

 
U.S. Domestic Disaster Relief versus the U.S. International Relief System

 
FEMA versus OFDA

 
A Case Study: Borderline Disaster: U.S. and Canadian Disasters and Emergencies 1994–2013

 
The U.S. System of Federal Emergency Management

 
Canadian Government System of Federal Emergency Management

 
U.S. FEMA

 
Bilateral U.S.–Canada Emergency Management Agreements in Brief

 
Explaining Appendix 8-1

 
U.S.–Canada Case Conclusions

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
CHAPTER 9: Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria: U.S. Disaster Management Challenged
Impact and Declarations: Hurricane Harvey

 
Impact and Declarations: Hurricane Irma

 
Impact and Declarations: Hurricane Maria

 
Immediate and Short-Term Response

 
Recovery

 
Problems

 
Comparisons

 
Lessons Learned

 
Summary

 
Key Terms

 
 
CHAPTER 10: Conclusions and the Future
What Has Happened to Federal Emergency Management?

 
For-Profit Contractors, Slapp Lawsuits, Whistleblowing, and Science Integrity

 
The Hawaii Nuclear Attack Alert SNAFU and Its Implications

 
Chapter Takeaways

 
Key Terms

 
 
Glossary
 
Notes
 
Master Bibliography
 
Index
Key features

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

  • New case studies keep students engaged by humanizing recent disasters such as the Montecito mudslide and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. These case studies also demonstrate how U.S. disaster policy & emergency management has changed over time. 
  • New “Tell Me More” boxes in every chapter provide detailed documentary evidence from the field of disaster policy and emergency management. For example, one box examines President Trump's dispute with the Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in which he threatened to suspend the major disaster declaration he had granted the territory.
  • Discussions of three new planning frameworks—Prevention, Protection, and Mitigation—added to the Department of Homeland Security terrorism mission provides students with an introduction to the massive changes occurring under the new “suite of frameworks” and the profound implications for the National Incident Management System.
  • A revised chapter on Civil-Military Relations and National Security (Chapter 7) provides clarification around the role of governor directed military forces and president/Pentagon directed military forces in handling domestic U.S. disasters and incidents.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Key concepts are bolded in every chapter and listed again at the end of each chapter to help students easily recognize which terms are important to comprehend.  
  • A master bibliography and index appears at the end of the book to offer instructors and students opportunities to conduct further research. 
  • Research drawn from political science and public administration demonstrates that emergency management continues its maturation into a profession. 
  • A critical look at the civil-military relations and homeland security shows students how the National Guard is an instrument of federal and state government and has long played a role in disaster management. 

For instructors

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