When a natural disaster or other crisis arises, governments may need to quickly mobilize resources. In many cases, the traditional legislative paths through which the government normally functions might be too slow in responding to the situation. States of emergency can enable leaders to rapidly create and distribute resources, impose curfews, institute rationing or fast-track the National Guard.
States of emergency can be invoked in times of national or local threat, conflict or danger, such as a natural disaster, an attempted coup or a terrorist attack. The legal framework that allows for states of emergency differs widely among countries, with some countries having specific laws in place to limit the duration of such measures. In other countries, such as Argentina, a state of emergency is known by its Spanish name “estado de sitio” (state of siege) and is allowed under the constitution in extraordinary circumstances when the country’s sovereignty, constitutional order or rights to property or security are threatened.
At the state level, a state of emergency can be declared by a governor, mayor or governing body of a city, county or region. The state of emergency declaration can set out a description of the geographical area affected, and the accompanying executive orders can include lists of prohibitions or restrictions, such as curfews and limitations on where people are permitted to travel or gather. A state of emergency also typically grants the government broader powers and privileges, and streamlines a number of administrative procedures to reduce time-to-reaction.
