Conflicts and Common Ground: The Fiscal Relationship Between FEMA, States, and Local Governments
Abstract
All communities need to know what to do during an emergency. Developed with the help of federal grant dollars, emergency management programs have advanced public safety capabilities throughout the country, across federal, state, and local boundaries. However, the disparity in state-level funding contributions is concerning given the critical role of emergency management in helping communities during emergencies and disasters. How should emergency management be funded at the state level? This thesis examines the fiscal relationship between federal, state, and local governments to help advance the discussion about how emergency management should be funded at the state level. After analyzing the research materials and supporting documentation, the review presents alternative perspectives from each level of government to demonstrate the potential outcomes and conflicting trade-offs. An assessment of the research led to suggestions on how to balance the alternative perspectives, which appear to compete in some respects but also share some common ground. The final evaluation includes recommendations for states determined to be potentially vulnerable based on the results of the data analysis, which show that some states invest much more than their federal funding allocation while others spend considerably less, thus relying heavily on federal funds. It concludes with a summary of the purpose for this research and its importance in the emergency management enterprise.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1173440
Entities
People
- Justin Luna
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School