POLS 045. Disaster Politics and Policies (CP)

Cross listed ENVS 021
How does the trauma of disaster influence political processes, institutions, and leaders? How do political processes, institutions, and leaders affect disaster events and their aftermath? Do disasters lead to meaningful policy change, or is their impact fleeting? This course examines the political and policy dynamics associated with disasters– those that are predominantly “natural” (e.g., hurricanes and tornadoes), and those that result mainly from human action or inaction (e.g., airplane crashes, mass shootings, building collapses). Using a variety of cases from different historical periods, different regions of the world, and different levels of political analysis (national, regional, and local), this course will examine the causes and consequences of disaster, policy-making and disaster, and the new professional field of disaster management. We will look critically at the role of NGOs and international aid in disaster relief, as well as international institutions.
Comparative

Social sciences.
1 credit.
Eligible for ENVS, GLBL-Core
Spring 2025. White.
Catalog chapter: Political Science
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/political-science

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