Civics Education
Federalism
Section I. Defining Federalism: Its Nature and Origins
Guiding Question: In a federal system, which activities/responsibilities are most appropriately performed at the national, state, and local levels of government?
Scenario:
A powerful hurricane is spinning in the Atlantic Ocean, and it appears to be on a direct path to hit the Virginia coast. Experts are predicting that the storm will hit at high tide, bringing a large storm surge. The weather service warns that low-lying areas will be completely underwater. Further inland, the storm is predicted to bring large amounts of rain, high winds, and possible tornadoes. Damage could be extensive for hundreds of miles. Who is going to be able to help the citizens of Virginia and its localities in their time of need?
In the United States, there are multiple levels of government. The United States is a federal system, where both the national government and state governments have spheres of power and responsibility that at times can and do overlap. In the example above, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the major disaster process would see different layers of the government responding in a variety of ways to meet the needs of citizens. Those ways include:
- Local government responds, supplemented by neighboring communities and volunteer agencies. If overwhelmed, it turns to the state for assistance;
- The state responds with state resources, such as the Virginia National Guard and state agencies;
- Damage assessment by local, state, federal, and volunteer organizations determines losses and recovery needs;
- A major disaster declaration is requested by the governor, based on the damage assessment, and an agreement to commit state funds and resources to the long-term recovery;
- FEMA evaluates the request and recommends action to the White House based on the disaster, the local community, and the state’s ability to recover; and
- The President approves the request or FEMA informs the governor it has been denied. This decision process could take a few hours or several weeks depending on the nature of the disaster.
Source: FEMA: http://www.fema.gov/hazard/dproc.shtm
This scenario illustrates how the layers of government (national government and state government in particular) may interact. There exists a clear and detailed process through which the federal government and the state governments can coordinate and respond in times of disaster.