The president can declare an emergency (Stafford Act) without a request if there is a 'federal primary responsibility'

• A. False
• B. Only after governor request
• C. Only with federal grants
• D. True

Answer: (D)

The ability to declare without a state request hinges on who has the primary responsibility for the response. Under the Stafford Act, the President can issue an emergency or major disaster declaration on his own when the federal government has primary responsibility for handling the incident. This allows immediate federal action and use of federal resources without waiting for a governor to request assistance.

So the statement is true: a president can declare without a governor’s request if there is federal primary responsibility. The other choices don’t fit because a declaration is not limited to after a governor’s request, nor does it require federal grants to occur; the key trigger is the federal government’s primary responsibility, not the possession of grants.