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Federalism: Disaster Response In Puerto Rico

1247 Words5 Pages

Chapter Application
November 8, 2017

Chapter 4: Federalism
Article: Davis Aaron C., Lamothe Dan, and O'Keefe Ed. “U.S. response in Puerto Rico pales next to actions after Haiti quake”. The Washington Post. September 28, 2017

On September 20th, Hurricane Maria ravaged the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico which resulted in an emergency situation for several million American citizens. Since Maria struck the island, there has been a disconnect between the level of aid requested or provided and the needs of struggling citizens who are desperate for water, food and the basic necessities of life as reported by Aaron C. Davis, Dan Lamothe and Ed O'Keefe of the Washington Post. In an article entitled “U.S. response in Puerto Rico pales next to actions …show more content…

Some may believe that disaster aid should be of utmost importance to the federal government while other citizens may argue that government spending on natural disasters should remain a state and local concern. This polarity of rationale proves useful as several approaches to Federalism are examined in response to the general welfare of our fellow citizens resulting from a natural disaster. The text compares the two theories of Federalism, Dual Federalism and Cooperative Federalism, and highlights how the Constitution is used to define the relationship between the federal and state governments. Under Dual Federalism, the functions and responsibilities of each government system are clearly differentiated (Janda, et al). Several key factors highlight the functioning of this theory. First, the federal government rules under enumerated powers which Janda et al. defines as “the powers explicitly granted to congress by the constitution” (Janda, et al). Powers not explicitly covered remain with the states meaning that much of the local concerns rest in the states sphere of authority. Although advocates of state’s rights may find this favorable, it can also be a disadvantage for citizens if their local and state governments are unable to provide the necessary resources to get through a difficult situation. Second, the Constitution grants the national government limited purpose. This restricts the amount of support the Federal government is able to grant due to the narrow interpretation of its responsibilities. Disaster aid is not mentioned and therefore would not be a purpose of national concern based on this theory. Third, national and state governments are both recognized as sovereign within its jurisdiction. The division of powers that restricts each government entity also grants power. Lastly, tensions define divide the relationship

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