Economic History: From Disaster Response to Community Recovery: Non-Governmental Entities, Government, and Public Health

Abstract:

This talk examines the role of non-governmental entities (non-profits, religious groups, and private businesses) in supplementing state capacity during disaster response and recovery. It is based on extensive post-disaster field work in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and northern and southern California, along with surveys and secondary data analysis. While media reports and the existing scholarly literature focus heavily on the role of government, non-governmental entities provide critical services related to public safety and public health after disasters. Over the long run, NGEs (including contractors and insurance companies) play a critical role in shaping recovery and economic development. This talk explores the practical and political implications of this form of delegated governance, which is enshrined in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Response Framework. I highlight the ability of NGEs to swiftly provide services, their flexibility, and their unique capacity to reach marginalized populations. Despite these strengths, there are high levels of variation in NGE capacity across jurisdictions, and NGEs face serious coordination and service delivery problems.