Natural disasters, civil unrest, widespread epidemics - these are just some of the unpredictable events that can trigger a President or Governor to declare a special "state of emergency". But what exactly does that mean? Is it symbolic, or logistical? What emergency powers does this special designation authorize? Our guide this week is Kim Lane Scheppele, author of Law in a Time of Emergency.
Have you got questions about civics? We want to answer them! Submit your question below.
_
A transcript for this episode can be found by following this link.
