FEMA DHS Research Proposal

FEMA-DHS

Should FEMA remain a part of the DHS

The issue that will be addressed in this thesis is whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) should remain a part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Buried among the legislation passed in the aftermath of the September 1 lth terrorist attacks was a provision of H.R. 5005, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which mandated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) be absorbed by the newly created Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It is important to determine whether this adjustment to public policy, made in conjunction with an overall merger of 22 federal agencies under the auspices of the DHS, has had an impact on the way the government responds to natural disasters, terrorist assaults, and other emergency situations.

Rationale/Significance to the field of Public Policy:

FEMA existed as an independent agency from 1979 until the passage of H.R. 5005. In 1996 President Bill Clinton elevated FEMA to cabinet-level status. The change in public policy that resulted in FEMA's transfer to the DHS changed the dynamics of the agency, which was criticized for its response to New Orleans' Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Politicians and the public have called at various times for FEMA to be overhauled and returned to the status of an independent, cabinet-level agency.The whole of public policy would be affected by changing FEMA back to an independent status and allowing it to operate without the oversight that the DHS has provided in the past. Other agencies that are not performing well could be affected by policy changes that are made in relation to FEMA, thus indicating that the potential for change to FEMA's operations has a strong effect on public policy in general.

Research Questions to be Examined:

Should FEMA be removed from the DHS and granted autonomy? Would public policy have to be altered to remove FEMA from the DHS? What could FEMA do differently if it was independent? How does being under the umbrella of DHS affect FEMA? What are the policy questions to be addressed when removing FEMA from the DHS? Who should be considered in this process? Do independent think tanks' opinions matter? Do the….....