Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst storms that hit the United States in the recent past, and the government is still to blame for the damages it did to the citizens of the United States.
The Pros and Cons of Federalism
Pros of Federalism
It gives communities the greatest role in shaping their lives: The US is a vast country inhabited by diverse populations spread over different geographical locations. For instance, federalism gave the people of New Orleans the opportunity to reconstruct itself after it was hit by the storm (The Storm n. p).
Federalism also ensures that there is a solid integration of local governments and private sectors as it recognizes its roles in the management of disasters such as storms. Federalism encourages each state to devise its strategies for economic development. Aftermath the disaster, the State of New Orleans was given the opportunity to reconstruct itself with the help of the federal government, but it had to devise its mechanism of running its economic activities.
Cons of Federalism
It sets priorities: federalism, has categorized terrorism as a priority in the U.S. disaster policy, and other disasters become secondary to it. It is the reason why the response to the Hurricane Katrina was delayed rather than being given an immediate response (The Storm n. p).
It is poorly structured: federalism is wrangled with political motives, and its structures are not well defined. Disaster response strategies and protocols are not well defined. The Storm portrayed how FEMA, was unprepared to manage the disaster that had just hit New Orleans.
Its response to disasters is slow: the protocols that have to be followed to initiate a response take too long. Approvals have to be made by several individuals before an act is seen. The Storm showed how delays that were caused by excessive protocols affected the people.
Dual Federalism and Shared Federalism
In dual federalism, the roles and responsibilities of the federal and state are distinct: “The Storm” portrayed that this form of federalism was still evident. In shared federalism, the State, and the Federal government share the roles and responsibilities, and there is an element of the corporation among them: much later, the Federal government came in and assisted the victims of the storm, though it had limited resources.
Constitutional Justifications for National and State Power
The constitution of the United States grants the federal government the power to deal with overreaching issues that of the national concern, while the state is given the power to deal with matters of the state. The storm affected almost three States, and it was the role of the federal government to coordinate effectively with the state governments to respond to the Hurricane.
Types of Grants
Homeland Security Grants: these are grants that assist in the implementation of disaster preparedness systems (The Storm n. p). The storm portrayed that these grants were divided unequally among states, and it was a high time for it to be reformed.
The storm tough the governments of United States a hard lesson. Hurricane Katrina was a disaster that could have been avoided if structures within the states and the federal government was streamlined.
Works Cited
"The Storm". FRONTLINE. N.p., 2016. Web. 1 July 2016.
