LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S PROBLEM WITH DISASTER MANAGEMENT: A LITERATURE REVIEW AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS1

Robert P. Wolensky and Kenneth C. Wolensky

Review of Policy Research, 1990, vol. 9, issue 4, 703-725

Abstract: In response to the recent attention given the disaster management responsibilities of local governments, this study asks two questions: how have local governments managed the demands associated with major natural disasters, and what explanation have been offered for the perfor‐ mance patterns observed? In the first part of the paper the social science disaster literature is reviewed to ascertain performance across four disaster stages (predisaster planning, emergency, early recovery, and long‐term recovery). Among the explanations offered for the performance patterns, it was surprising to find little attention devoted to underlying structural factors. In the second part of the paper, “the disaster management problem” is stipulated and a structural analysis of it is undertaken, focusing on the role of local government within both the intergovernmental system and the local power structure. The conclusion is that the disaster management problem has roots deep within American society and culture, and any attempts to redress the problem will require attention to limiting struc‐ tural realities.

Date: 1990
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