Case Study/Memo Exercise #1 Hurricane Katrina and Federalism. Note: The setup for all exercises will follow this basic template (which in law is usually referred to as a memo … or sometimes a brief).

Hurricane Katrina and Federalism.

Case Study/Memo Exercise #1 Hurricane Katrina & Federalism Note: The setup for all exercises will follow this basic template (which in law is usually referred to as a memo … or sometimes a brief). One quick note: A “CIVIL” Crime (or Lawsuit) is a legal case or controversy where one individual (or group of individuals) sues a person for monetary damages. Even if found guilty, the individual does not go to jail. A “Criminal” Crime involves the state charging an individual(s) with a crime with the potential of jail or prison time. I know most of you know that – but just as a heads up.

Hurricane Katrina and Federalism.

Assignment Parameters and Setup Grade composition will be as follows: 10 points for Grammar, Spelling, Etc. 5 points for Formatting (double spaced, page #s, proper length, etc.) 5 points for Following Instructions and on time completion. 30 points for content, discussion, and analysis. 50 points total Assignment Criteria Length: Approximately 4 pages double spaced Do not double space your name, class title, etc. Format: Standard margins, font, double spaced, page numbers, etc. Citation: You should utilize quotes longer than a sentence or two. However, if you use outside material it needs to be documented.

Hurricane Katrina and Federalism.

There’s no requirement for how you cite – just that you do it if applicable. Due by 11:59pm on 9/18 Late Penalty: Exercises not completed on time will receive a 10 pt deduction per day late Step 1 – Context & History Background Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest hurricanes ever to hit the United States. An estimated 1,833 people died in the hurricane and the flooding that followed in late August 2005, and millions of others were left homeless along the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans.

Hurricane Katrina and Federalism.

Katrina was the most destructive storm to strike the United States and the costliest storm in U.S. history, causing $108 billion in damage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  It ranks sixth overall in strength of recorded Atlantic hurricanes. It was also a very large storm; at its peak, maximum winds stretched 25 to 30 nautical miles (46 to 55 kilometers) and its extremely wide swath of hurricane force winds extended at least 75 nautical miles (138 km) to the east from the center. Federalism & Accountability The major flaw in the response to Hurricane Katrina stems from the complexity of emergency management within a Federalist System.

Hurricane Katrina and Federalism.

The Major Criticisms Include:  Failure to Evacuate Residents o Particularly, the elderly, poor, and sick  Failure to provide adequate food, shelter, and water to displaced individuals.  Failure to utilize existing resources o Busses, Roads, etc.  Failure to adopt a plan for assisting individuals impacted by the hurricane  Failure to provide sufficient help in rescuing distressed individuals  Failure to maintain law and order throughout the crisis While every level of government involved admits to the problems in the response to Hurricane Katrina, there is no consensus over who(m) should receive blame for these issues and who(m) is at fault for the loss of life and failures of the response to the hurricane.

Hurricane Katrina and Federalism.

Those blaming the Bush administration and more specifically, FEMA officials frequently point out several problems in the response to Katrina, including:  Bush had appointed an incompetent head of FEMA (Michael Brown) who was not up to the job  FEMA failed to prepare adequately for the threat of natural disaster (as they were focused on other things, like the War(s) on Terror, Afghanistan, and Iraq)  FEMA failed to respond quickly because the individuals were disproportionately poor, African American, and decidedly Democratic in their political affiliation.

Hurricane Katrina and Federalism.

Bush had failed to intervene personally and instead flew over New Orleans from an airplane rather than investigate in person on the ground Writing on the seventh anniversary of the storm the New York Times speculated that “A big storm requires big government” and that the Bush administration ineffectively harnessed the power of the national government to help Katrina victims and the consequence was that individuals needlessly lost their lives. https://youtu.be/3OS1arzYWLQ

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