America has responded to the Katrina disaster with one of the most complex arrays of governmental and private sector policies in our history. These various legislative and policy initiatives might be collectively referred to as our "Katrina Recovery Program," by which we seek not only to restore economic vitality to the region but also to deal with a number of pressing social issues the disaster dramatically exposed: persistent, concentrated poverty,
inequality in health care and educational opportunity in the affected region.
Policy actions are always goal oriented and in this case economists and policy makers must consider a most complex mix of goals, including economic growth, income and wealth distribution issues, economic freedom, economic security, etc. Economic policy itself must be coordinated with other social policies, policies which focus on issues of distribution of power and the mechanisms of making nonmarket decisions about resources. Critical questions need to be addressed in the development of any sound recovery program. The following questions might serve policy makers in this particular and crucial matter.
Guideline Questions for Katrina Policy Makers
1. What goals (ends) are being addressed in the policy? Which of these goals are mutually supportive? What goals create conflicts or major sequencing issues? How does the recovery
program relate to issues of national security?
2. What are the efficient mechanisms (means rather than ends) by which the goal might be achieved? What political challenges are inherent in the process?
3. What is the role of federal, state and local government as well as the private sector in obtaining desired results? What is the appropriate funding source (federal, state and local) for each program considering issues of efficiency and equity? What and how are these governmental units to coordinate?
4. What are the appropriate upper and lower limits for the amount of resources assigned to obtaining various goals?
5. What is the time frame for obtaining particular goals? What sequencing of outcomes is desired or optimal ?
6. Is the geographical distribution of recovery fair and efficient?
7. How have the needs of the various groups within the region been accommodated by the recovery effort?
8. Who evaluates the policies to see which policies are working and which are not? When and how is the evaluation performed?
9. What are the implications of the recovery program for fiscal and monetary policy? What restrictions on recovery spending are desired or optimal because of the current deficit budget?
America has responded to the Katrina disaster with one of the most complex arrays of governmental and private sector policies in our history. These various legislative and policy initiatives might be collectively referred to as our "Katrina Recovery Program," by which we seek not only to restore economic vitality to the region but also to deal with a number of pressing social issues the disaster dramatically exposed: persistent, concentrated poverty,
inequality in health care and educational opportunity in the affected region. Policy actions are always goal oriented and in this case economists and policy makers must consider a most complex mix of goals, including economic growth, income and wealth distribution issues, economic freedom, economic security, etc. Economic policy itself must be coordinated with other social policies, policies which focus on issues of distribution of power and the mechanisms of making nonmarket decisions about resources. Critical questions need to be addressed in the development of any sound recovery program. The following questions might serve policy makers in this particular and crucial matter.1. What goals (ends) are being addressed in the policy? Which of these goals are mutually supportive? What goals create conflicts or major sequencing issues? How does the recovery
program relate to issues of national security?2. What are the efficient mechanisms (means rather than ends) by which the goal might be achieved? What political challenges are inherent in the process?3. What is the role of federal, state and local government as well as the private sector in obtaining desired results? What is the appropriate funding source (federal, state and local) for each program considering issues of efficiency and equity? What and how are these governmental units to coordinate?4. What are the appropriate upper and lower limits for the amount of resources assigned to obtaining various goals?5. What is the time frame for obtaining particular goals? What sequencing of outcomes is desired or optimal ?6. Is the geographical distribution of recovery fair and efficient? 7. How have the needs of the various groups within the region been accommodated by the recovery effort?8. Who evaluates the policies to see which policies are working and which are not? When and how is the evaluation performed?9. What are the implications of the recovery program for fiscal and monetary policy? What restrictions on recovery spending are desired or optimal because of the current deficit budget?Copyright © 2005. Do not reproduce without permission.
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