Governing after Crisis: The Politics of Investigation, Accountability and Learning

The constant threat of crises such as disasters, riots and terrorist attacks poses a frightening challenge to Western societies and governments. While the causes and dynamics of these events have been widely studied, we know little about what happens following their containment and the restoration of stability. This volume explores ‘post-crisis politics,’ examining how crises give birth to longer term dynamic processes of accountability and learning which are characterised by official investigations, blame games, political manoeuvring, media scrutiny and crisis exploitation. Drawing from a wide range of contemporary crises, including Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, the Madrid train bombings, the Walkerton water contamination, Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia and the Boxing Day Asian tsunami, this is a ground-breaking volume which addresses the longer term impact of crisis-induced politics. Competing pressures for stability and change mean that policies, institutions and leaders may occasionally be uprooted, but often survive largely intact.

• An analysis of what happens ‘after’ crisis to policies, institutions and political leaders • The contributors provide a unique multidisciplinary perspective on crisis management drawing from political science, social psychology, public administration, public policy, international relations, organisation theory and disaster sociology • Contains detailed case studies of some of the most devastating and high-profile crises in recent years, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia disasters