The authors focus on a relatively unexplored aspect of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks—the extent to which it was ethically appropriate to compensate victims of that tragedy, especially in comparison to victims of other unfortunate events. After providing back-ground on federal disaster and victim compensation policies, the authors offer a set of principles for determining when the government should provide direct reimbursement to victims for losses incurred, drawing on both deontological and utilitarian reasoning. The authors then apply these standards to the September 11 attacks and other unfortunate events such as the Oklahoma City bombing.
Bettelheim, A. (2001, November 17). Policymakers struggle with issues of fairness and frugality in compensating terrorism victims. CQ Weekly, p. 27-33.
2.
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3.
Brown, J. R., Kroszner, R. S., & Jenn, B. H. (2002). Federal terrorism risk insurance. National Tax Journal, 55, 647-657.
4.
Dworkin, R. (2000). Sovereign virtue: The theory and practice of equality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
5.
Gersen, J. E. (2001). Citizens, disasters, and the state. Unpublished manuscript.
6.
Is a fireman’s life worth less than a banker’s? America weighs compensation for victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. (2003, April 12). The Economist, 367, 65-66.
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9.
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10.
Mostaghel, D. M. (2001). Wrong place, wrong time, unfair treatment? Aid to victims of terrorist attacks. Brandeis Law Journal, 40, 83-120.
11.
Myers, J. (2002, May 23). ’95 compensation sought: Keating wants funds for OC bomb victims. Tulsa World.
12.
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13.
Smetters, K. (2003). Insuring against terrorism: The policy challenge. Unpublished manuscript.
14.
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15.
Sunstein, C. R. (2002). Risk and reason: Safety, law, and the environment. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
16.
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17.
Walsh, D. (2002, October). African victims of Al-Qa’Ida forgotten. Independent, p. 21.
