Exchanging Scope of Disaster for Political Responsiveness in U.S. Disaster Decisions : 1953-2009

This article examines the impact of scope of disaster and political responsiveness in presidential decisions for the period from 1953 to 2009 (Eisenhower to Obama). Where my previous research focused on individual-level gubernatorial and presidential choice, this analysis explores the effects of scope of disaster and political responsiveness on the annual number of requests and declarations. Whereas earlier analyses traced the effects of the competing influences of vulnerability, disaster scope, and responsiveness on individual political choices, the current analysis assesses the cumulative impact of those influences on the annual number of requests and declarations and the percentage of requests granted.The article highlights several conclusions. First, the Stafford Act expanded federal coverage to all categories of disasters, added a significant range of individual types of assistance, and provided extensive funding for recovery planning. As a result, it changed the dynamics of the disaster decision process. Second, the impact of election year politics on disaster decisions increased over time. The effect of economic factors, especially scope of disaster declined. Third, the changes affected governors more than presidents, and the governors' choices drove the presidents' choices.The analysis highlights the increasingly expansive and political nature of the disaster decision-making process. The analysis also highlights the difficulty that the emergency management system faces in emphasizing mitigation and preparedness as intensively as response and recovery. The pressures that have driven the expansion of the federal role in disaster relief have made the adoption of a proactive focus a difficult long-term goal