Premium
Addressing Public Risks: Extreme Events and Critical Infrastructures
Author(s) -
May Peter J.,
Koski Chris
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
review of policy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1541-1338
pISSN - 1541-132X
DOI - 10.1111/ropr.12012
Subject(s) - private sector , public sector , work (physics) , business , depiction , balance (ability) , public relations , critical infrastructure , political science , economics , economic growth , engineering , mechanical engineering , medicine , linguistics , philosophy , law , physical medicine and rehabilitation
We consider noncoercive means for harnessing the efforts of the private sector as partners with public authorities for addressing potential harms from widely dispersed risks. Our focus is the public and private sector approach in the U nited S tates to protecting the nation's critical infrastructures. We empirically address how two key elements of this approach—mobilization of attention and planning partnerships—work to foster “communities of interest” that pursue common sets of solutions for risk reduction. Our depiction of the varied communities of interest underscores differences in starting points in creating such communities, in the ability to mobilize and focus attention within them, and in the likelihood of sustaining efforts to address threats to critical infrastructures. The fundamental issue raised by our research is striking an appropriate balance between governmental and private sector roles in addressing risks for which it is hard to create and sustain protective actions.