the PBS documentary entitled The Storm

Part I: The Documentary First, watch the PBS documentary entitled The Storm. You can click on the following link to access the video: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/storm/ _(https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/storm/) This is a documentary on Hurricane Katrina, a massive storm that devastated New Orleans and its surrounding areas in 2005.

The disaster was exacerbated by a notoriously incoherent federal and state response, raising all sorts of questions regarding the appropriate role of the federal government when it comes to natural disasters. You will be responding to questions about this documentary requiring specific references, so you may want to consider taking notes as you watch. Part II: The Mini-Essay Write a short 1-2 page essay addressing the following questions.

Be as specific as possible when referencing the text, lecture, and documentary. Keep in mind you will want to have viewed the video lecture before beginning this assignment so that you have a basic understanding of the concept of federalism and its associated dilemmas. 1. Who were the important actors during this crisis and what were their roles?

What mistakes did they make? 2. What prevented successful collective action in terms of the government’s response? Be specific. 3. Is this a one-off mistake by ineffective politicians or do you think that this kind of massive failure is indicative of a problem with nationalization – i.e. giving the federal government too much responsibility?