Federalism Interview 2
Federalism in Action
Part One: The Storm
"The Storm: Chaos and Tragedy": Answer the following questions as you view the PBS video excerpt "Chaos and Tragedy."
1. According to Frontline, what problems were caused by the following groups:
The Local and state officials? Fail to plan
The U.S. military? Waited too long
FEMA? Poorly led
The Government? Indifferent to victims who were poor
2. Why was the Louisiana National Guard unable to help? 300 soldiers were trapped inside the headquarters. And they were unaware that the canal leaves were giving water off
3. Why were rescue efforts hampered in the first 24 hours? Their backup generator flooded. Communication devices were useless. ¾ of the police force came to work.
4. What were the Mayor's responsibilities prior to the hurricane? Stock the shelters with food and water, mobilize cities and school buses for evacuation.
5. Where were state and local officials during the aftermath of Katrina? Why was this a problem? This was a problem because they did not know the extent of the damage and were unable to help.
6. What were the critics pointing out as trouble with the governor of Louisiana? They said the governor of Louisiana was unprepared and made vague confusing requests to Washington.
7. According to then-FEMA director Michael Brown, when does FEMA take over for state and local governments? FEMA takes over for state and local governments when they tell FEMA what they need.
8. What were the complaints of local and state officials against FEMA? The complaints against FEMA were that the state and local governments requested supplies from FEMA and FEMA didn’t deliver.
9. How many days did it take for the government, under President George W. Bush, to acknowledge they were late and inadequate in its response? It took 6 days.
“The Storm: What Went Wrong in New Orleans”:
10. After reading the interview excerpts from the federal, state, and local officials, what do you feel went wrong in New Orleans? Everyone was
Part One: The Storm
"The Storm: Chaos and Tragedy": Answer the following questions as you view the PBS video excerpt "Chaos and Tragedy."
1. According to Frontline, what problems were caused by the following groups:
The Local and state officials? Fail to plan
The U.S. military? Waited too long
FEMA? Poorly led
The Government? Indifferent to victims who were poor
2. Why was the Louisiana National Guard unable to help? 300 soldiers were trapped inside the headquarters. And they were unaware that the canal leaves were giving water off
3. Why were rescue efforts hampered in the first 24 hours? Their backup generator flooded. Communication devices were useless. ¾ of the police force came to work.
4. What were the Mayor's responsibilities prior to the hurricane? Stock the shelters with food and water, mobilize cities and school buses for evacuation.
5. Where were state and local officials during the aftermath of Katrina? Why was this a problem? This was a problem because they did not know the extent of the damage and were unable to help.
6. What were the critics pointing out as trouble with the governor of Louisiana? They said the governor of Louisiana was unprepared and made vague confusing requests to Washington.
7. According to then-FEMA director Michael Brown, when does FEMA take over for state and local governments? FEMA takes over for state and local governments when they tell FEMA what they need.
8. What were the complaints of local and state officials against FEMA? The complaints against FEMA were that the state and local governments requested supplies from FEMA and FEMA didn’t deliver.
9. How many days did it take for the government, under President George W. Bush, to acknowledge they were late and inadequate in its response? It took 6 days.
“The Storm: What Went Wrong in New Orleans”:
10. After reading the interview excerpts from the federal, state, and local officials, what do you feel went wrong in New Orleans? Everyone was