ABSTRACT
Presidents and top government officials plan for a wide variety of possible disasters, but rarely contemplate the possibility of a complete collapse of the US government. It is true that the US government has some continuity of government protocols, but it is not clear how or whether they would be adhered to if things became so bad that they necessitated the use of such protocols. If such a systemic disaster were ever to take place, the immediate and longer-term responses by America's leadership class would have profound implications both for the entire US citizenry and the prospect of human freedom worldwide. While this type of collapse may not be a likely scenario, it would be so devastating that it requires at least some serious thought and planning.
