In an era in which free-market capitalism has been showered with more accolades than anyone ever expected it to receive, it seems especially timely to reassess economic sectors traditionally regarded as the preserve of nonprofit or governmental supply and off-limits to for-profit private activity. Of particular interest in this regard is the whole area of disaster mitigation and response, which, in the United States, at least, is experiencing an explosion of for-profit private-sector initiatives. I will survey and analyze some of these developments and offer some suggestions for policies to promote the role of private enterprise in both disaster anticipation and recovery,
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ChalkAndrew1987. “Market Outperforms FAA as Air-Safely Enforcer.” Wall Street Journal (September 1): A-30.
2.
CunyFrederick C.1983. Disasters and DevelopmentNew York: Oxford University Press.
3.
DukePaulJr.1986. “Disaster-Relief Expert Believes in Self-Help Instead of Handouts.” Wall Street Journal (December 17): A-1.
4.
DynesRussell R.1970. Organized Behavior in Disasters.Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Heath and Co.
5.
DynesRussell R.1983. “Problems in Emergency Planning.” Energy Use in Transportation Contingency Planning, special issue of Energy—The International Journal8 (August/September), edited by HorwichGeorge.
FrostLionel E., and JonesEric L.. 1989. “The Fire Gap and the Greater Durability of Nineteenth Century Cities.” Planning Perspectives4: 333–347.
8.
FuessScott, and LowensteinMark. 1990. “Further Analysis of the Effects of Government Safety Regulation: The Case of the 1969 Coal Mine Health and Safety Act.” Economic Inquiry (April): 354–389.
9.
GrayBradford H.1991. The Profit Motive and Patient Care.Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
10.
HindsMichael De Conrcy. 1989. “Stales Turn to Business to Help Build Highways.” New York Times (November 20): B-10.
11.
HorwichGeorge. 1990. “Disasters and Market Response.” The Cato Journal9: 531–555.
12.
JonesEric L.1981. The European Miracle.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
13.
KissilElaine. 1990. The First Interstate Disaster Preparedness Program. Unpublished paper presented at meetings of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, San Francisco, October 18.
14.
MarshallF. Ray, and BriggsVernon M.Jr.1989. Labor Economics.Homewood. Illinois: Richard A. Irwin, Inc.
15.
McCarthyPatrick S.1986. “Seat Belt Usage Rates: A Test of Peltzman's Hypothesis.” Accident Analysis and Prevention18: 425–438.
16.
McConnellCampbell R., and BrueStanley L.. 1992. Contemporary Labor Economics.New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
17.
MooreMartha T., and Liles-MorrisShelley. 1989. “Making the Best of a Catastrophe.” USA Today (November 15): 20.
18.
New York Times.1983. “Firm Finds Reward in Grim Specially.” (May 28): 37
19.
PeltzmanSam. 1975. “The Effects of Automobile Safety Regulation.” Journal of Political Economy83: 677–725.
20.
PennStanley. 1981. “Fire Hazard: Builders Often Resist Tough Safely Codes, Citing Added Expense.” Wall Street Journal (January 27): A-1.
21.
PlommerLeslie. 1978. “The Disaster Game.” Nov York Times (November 17): A-29.
22.
PooleRobert W.Jr., and FixlerPhilip E.Jr.1987. “Privatization of Public Sector Services in Practice: Experience and Potential.” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management6: 612–625.
SmithVernon L.1987. “Currenis of Competition in Electricity Markets.” Regulation2: 23–29.
26.
TolchinMartin. 1985. “Localities Shift to Private Firefighters.” New York Times (July 28): 22.
27.
ViningAidan R., and WeimerDavid L.. 1990. “Government Supply and Production Failure: A Framework Based on Contestability.” Journal of Public Policy10: 1–22.
28.
WeimerDavid L., and ViningAidan R.. 1992. Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practice.Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
29.
WeisbrodBurton A.1988. The Nonprofit Economy.Cambridge. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
30.
WendersJohn T.1990. “Natural Monopoly and the Deregulation of Local Telephone Service.” Telecommunications Policy (April): 125–138.
31.
WildavskyAaron. 1988. Searching for Safety.New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Books.
32.
WoodWilliam C.1983. Nuclear Safety: Risks and Regulations.Washington: American Enterprise Institute.
