The Politics of Disaster Relief
Title
The Politics of Disaster Relief
Author
Oliver, Alexander J.
Reeves, Andrew
Research Area
Class, Status and Power
Topic
Political Power
Abstract
Severe weather events provide unexpected tests of political leadership. From the perspective of the social scientist, disaster relief provides an excellent vantage point to observe the responses of both elected officials and voters to these dramatic events that, though not caused by politics, require a distinctly political response. This essay provides an overview of the research on the politics of disaster relief in the United States. The topic is vast and we focus specifically on the response of voters and politicians in the aftermath of severe weather events. We review the foundational research, discuss more recent advances, and then address what we see as the most important issues for future research on this topic.