US_Ch4_webquest-end

=**Conclusion**=

Somewhere in history, Americans got the idea that just because they wanted to live in a warm climate by the ocean, their fellow citizens should subsidize - tax dollars - their risk when storms or other natural disasters hit. A study has shown that nearly 90,000 people pursuing warm weather, jobs, or southern hospitality moved into the Mississippi River's three coastal communities in the 1990s, which was made possible in part by the federal government's program of insurance to those living in high-risk coastal areas.

There has also been a trend in cities in which the democrat party has had control (mayor and council) for generations in that there has been increasing levels of welfare, debt, and deterioration of schools with cries for more aid, more welfare, and more spending on schools. Such cities, thought they claim to want to help the poor, aren't producing policies to help the poor get out of poverty, but rather keep the poor in poverty (if the government is going to give a person money, food, health care, and housing, what incentive is there to work out of the situation?). New Orleans was not an exception. The long term effect is that these types of cities created a population entirely dependent on the city government for almost every element of daily life from transporation to education to welfare. Instead of rugged individualism like Johnstown or Dayton, people merely started to wonder "Who will help me?" In addition, the arrest rate in New Orleans in 2005 was 25% of its citizens (50% of male population). This meant that a citizen in New Orleans was more likely to get mugged than receive help, unlike Johnstown or Dayton in the 1890s/early 1900s.

The lesson to learn isn't that government and military can't help, but rather the lesson to learn is government will always lag behind efforts of private individuals and the more towns and communities know they need to rely on themselves, and not D.C., the more rapid and compassionate the response will be. The Founding Fathers certainly knew about natural disasters, but didn't give government a role. Alexander Hamilton experienced a hurricane and appealed to "ye, who revel in affluence, see the afflicting of humanity and bestow your superfluity to ease them" asking those who are able to help those who are helpless. The Founders believe in the charity of individuals rather than the government. History has proven (Johnstown, Dayton, Galveston, San Francisco) that private charities combat natural disasters better than a large government apparatus. It's important to understand the difference and power of private charities vs. the federal agencies and programs. As a voter, you'll have to make choices between candidates who want more government spending for more government agencies and social programs vs. candidates who believe the government is too big, should be reduced, and encourage more self-reliance rather than government reliance.


 * 15. Why do you think private charities and volunteers are more efficient than big government agencies in handling natural disasters?**
 * 16. Do you think the increasing reliance on the government rather than self-reliance by citizens and communities is a negative? Why or why not?**
 * 17. What did you learn from this web quest that you did not previously know.**

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