The Relationship Between U.S. Presidents and Governors from Opposing Political Parties: Policy Implementation and Crisis Management

Name

Adam RicheyFollow

Publication Date

2026

Major

Political Science (B.A.)

Release Option

Open Access

Faculty Mentor

Joshua Kennedy

Abstract

This thesis studies the impact of partisan divisions between U.S. presidents and state governors in regard to policy implementation and crisis management of the American federal system. While previous research has mainly addressed congressional polarization, executive relationships across different levels of government have received comparatively less scholarly focus.  Particularism theory argues that electoral incentives shape executive behavior, and this study finds that political alignment significantly affects cooperation, coordination, and responsiveness during times of crises. Focusing on qualitative comparative case study methods, the analysis examines Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021). The results show that partisan division most often results in miscommunication, delays, and fragmented policy responses. However, cooperation can still happen when the political costs of conflict are high. This evidence shows the importance of executive interactions in understanding contemporary federalism and emphasizes the major consequences of intensifying polarization for productive governance and crisis response in the United States.

Recommended Citation

Richey, Adam, "The Relationship Between U.S. Presidents and Governors from Opposing Political Parties: Policy Implementation and Crisis Management" (2026). Honors College Theses. 1072.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/honors-theses/1072