Texas Government

• Federalism


  States have sovereignty, but federal government protects people
• When should the federal government offer mutual aid


  1. Mutual aid is when governments offer each other help

  2. Disaster happens, government starts their response right there

  3. Local -> region -> state-> national

  4. Denton -> denton county -> reg. 2 -> Texas -> FEMA 6
• U.S. allows states flexibility with disaster response
• Why U.S. allows states flexibility with disaster response


  • Different disasters
  • Larger populations
  • Different infrastructures
• Layers of government in disaster response


  • Local
  • State
  • National
• Local governments in Texas


  • Cities oversee incident response
  • All cities have a city or be part of a county plan
  • Every city must have an emergency plan
  • Be ready to declare disasters/evacuations (mayor)
  • Counties have a county plan to help unincorporated areas and cities
  • Declare disasters/evacuations (county judge)
• State governments


  • Works with cities/counties
  • Oversee regional and state assistance
  • Ensure cities/counties have a plan
  • Has a state plan that outlines responsibilities
• A helicopter crashes in an unincorporated area of Denton county and causes a fire. The county judge is in charge of the incident and declares a disaster
• State leadership does not know the intricacies of all cities and counties
• Impact of Hurricane Harvey: Plans were poorly done
• 2019: 31 Texas bills to improve disaster response
• TXDEM separated from DPS; had to wait for DPS to go to government
• More thorough disaster plans, debris management, and contact sheets were created
• Federal role in disaster response


  • Ensure communications
  • Make sure the state is talking to the national gov.
  • Agencies and states (FEMA, HS); make sure states and agencies are communicating effectively
  • Provide help if there's a disaster
• Stafford Act (1988)


  • Defines how the US handles disasters and gives aid
  • President can declare disaster
  • State must be overwhelmed
• When do you get FEMA aid


  • Infrastructure
  • Public health
  • Essential government
• Response to Katrina (2005): Insurrection act (1807) amended in 2006 to allow accelerated federal assistance, repealed in 2008
• Post-Katrina Reform Act (2006): Director with experience; FEMA can respond faster
• Why has congress agreed to invest $12 billion in the NOAA: The equipment can be used to accurately tell people when and where to prepare
• Redistributive Policy


  "Robin hood" take from those who have (e.g. progressive taxes)
• Distributive Policy


  All "pay" to solve a big problem (e.g. public goods)
• Regulatory Policy


  Control behavior or actions (e.g. fines for polluters)
• Policy Cycle


  1. Identify problem/set agenda

  2. Create solution/formulate policy

  3. Policy adoption

  4. Implement policy

  5. Evaluate policy
• If a road cracks due to rain during curing, the implementation of the solution was problematic
• Bargaining


  Negotiate, use incentives and pork projects to influence policy
• Logrolling is an example of bargaining
• Ways to get policy done


  • Logrolling
  • Bargaining
  • Poison pills
  • Legacy votes
• State revenue sources


  • Sales tax
  • Federal
  • Motor vehicle
• County revenue sources


  • Property tax
  • Sales tax
  • Fees
• City revenue sources


  • Property tax
  • Sales tax
  • Fees
• State expenditures


  • Higher education
  • K-12
  • Transportation
  • Medicaid
• County expenditures


  • Roads
  • Bridges
  • Sheriff
  • Fire
  • EMS
• City expenditures


  • Police
  • Fire
  • Government services
  • Roads and bridges
• Capital appreciation bond


  Borrow money needed + interest and pay back at the end; voters have a say
• Lease or lease revenue bond


  Borrow money, make product, use revenue from product to pay loan; voters have a say
• Back-door bond


  Government creates agency to take out bond; voters have no say
• The state has taken out a 940 million bond to create a toll bridge and toll road, using the tolls to pay back the bond. This is a lease revenue bond.
• Homeland security is still fragmented, with no coordination between federal, state and local governments
• Federally funded equipment is used by local governments for disaster response
• Reason to hold a simulation


  • Attempt to test your plans
  • Use findings to adjust your plans