Governance Capacity Towards Floods: the provision and social impacts of FEMA grants

Abstract

In this thesis, I consider the effect of climate change related flooding threats on relations between national, state, and local governments. I examine the relationship between previous FEMA claims of property losses experienced by Massachusetts cities and towns and the future fiscal dependence of such local governments on FEMA. I also examine how more or less fiscal dependence on FEMA and other federal funding may result in more or less use of local exclusionary land use regulations. My thesis finds that property losses from previous floods increase the local government’s financial dependence on FEMA and generally the federal government, and this increased dependence has bifurcated results regarding local exclusionary land use regulations.