A discussion of the question that has been asked since 2003 when FEMA was included in the Dept. of Homeland Security. From the National Interest: Should FEMA Be a Stand Alone Agency?
Recovery Diva
Long-Term Recovery from Disasters
A discussion of the question that has been asked since 2003 when FEMA was included in the Dept. of Homeland Security. From the National Interest: Should FEMA Be a Stand Alone Agency?
Recovery Diva 
I think FEMA would do better as a stand-alone, but I also think a larger question is the attitudes and policies of an Administration. Under Bush 1 & 2, FEMA was neglected and, shall we say, not optimally effective, whether it was a stand-alone or under DHS. Under Clinton and Obama, I think FEMA was pretty effective, whether it was a stand-alone or under DHS. Ultimately, FEMA works under the direction of the President…for better or for worse.