Politics of Risk

Catalog description

This course provides an introduction to the governance of public risks or large-scale hazards and disasters impacting a broad cross-section of society. It surveys the policies and practices used to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the damage done by emerging diseases, natural disasters, environmental hazards, technological incidents, and other naturally occurring and human-made problems. This course will help students understand how nations, international institutions, non-governmental entities, and even private organizations work to identify and, subsequently, manage risks and hazards. Special attention is paid to the tension between preparing for emerging problems and responding to disaster events. The course will also investigate the various barriers to effective crisis management.