The Role of Government in Responding to Natural Catastrophes

Aux Etats-Unis les gouvernements des Etats tout autant que le gouvernement federal jouent un role important dans le traitement des effets des sinistres naturels. Le gouvernement federal subventionne lassurance-inondations pour les individus, les entreprises privees et les gouvernements dEtats et locaux, et il affecte des fonds sur une base ad hoc pour reconstruire apres de tres importants sinistres naturels tels que de fortes inondations ou des tremblements de terre. Les gouvernements des Etats reglementent lassurance-seisme (en Californie) et lassurance-ouragan (en Floride) en imposant a lensemble des assurances et a certains de leurs utilisateurs de subventionner dautres assures. Cet article analyse les diverses formes dimplications gouvernementales dans lassistance des sinistres et evalue de maniere critique les arguments normatifs pour ces formes de participations et de reglementations. Il propose que le gouvernement federal se retire du marche de lassurance-inondation et que les gouvernements des etats arretent de reglementer les marches dassurance prives qui obligent des gens a subventionner lassurance pour dautres.Government at both the state and federal level in the United States has an extensive role in dealing with the effects of natural disasters. The federal government provides subsidized flood insurance to private individuals, businesses, and state and local government, and it appropriates f unds on an ad hoc basis for rebuilding after highly visible natural disasters such as large floods and earthquakes. State governments regulate earthquake insurance (California) and hurricane insurance (in Florida) in ways that force the insurance industry and some of its customers to subsidize other policyholders. This essay details the various forms of government involvement in disaster assistance and critically evaluates the normative arguments for these forms of government involvement and regulation. It proposes that the federal government should withdraw from the flood insurance market and that state governments should stop regulating private insurance markets in such a way that some people are forced to subsidize insurance for others.