Continuity of Government
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Continuity of government (COG), commonly referred to in public policy documents as Continuity of Operations (COOP), is the principle of establishing defined procedures, protocols, executive orders, Presidential Emergency Action Documents (PEADs), hardened underground installations, secure communications grids, and pre-cleared continuity personnel that together ensure a government can continue its essential operations in case of a catastrophic event such as nuclear war or any event that disables the visible federal government.[1]
Continuity of government was developed by the British government before and during World War II to counter threats, such as that of the Luftwaffe bombing during the Battle of Britain. The need for continuity of government plans gained new urgency with nuclear proliferation. During and after the Cold War countries developed such plans to avoid (or minimize) confusion and disorder due to a power vacuum in the aftermath of a nuclear attack. In the US, COG is no longer limited to nuclear emergencies; the Continuity of Operations Plan was activated following the September 11 attacks.
History
Early evolution in the United States
Formal continuity planning in the United States began under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who ordered construction of dispersed “alternate seats of government” such as Mount Weather, the Raven Rock Mountain Complex (Site R), and the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.[1] National Security Decision Directive 55 (1982) and Executive Order 12656 (1988) assigned every federal agency an emergency mission and pre-delegated lines of succession.[2]
During the Reagan era, FEMA and the National Security Council ran the classified exercise series REX 84, reportedly drafted by Lt. Col. Oliver North, which outlined mass-detention lists and nationwide martial law. Representative Jack Brooks’s attempt to question North about REX 84 during the Iran–Contra hearings was cut off on national television, confirming the plan’s existence without disclosing details.
Activation on 11 September 2001
COG was activated for the first time on September 11, 2001. President George W. Bush signed a classified emergency order that sent roughly 100 mid-level officials from every Cabinet department to bunkers at Mount Weather and Site R to run a rotating “shadow government.” Vice-President Dick Cheney directed continuity operations from undisclosed locations linked by secure video circuits.[1]
Legal framework after 2001
- NSPD-51/HSPD-20 (2007) established a National Continuity Coordinator in the White House and defined eight “National Essential Functions” to be protected at all times.[3]
- Presidential Policy Directive 40 (2016) required every executive department to maintain a 30-day Continuity of Operations Plan.
- Executive Order 13961 (2020) merged cyber-resilience and continuity doctrine into a single concept, “Federal Mission Resilience.”
Presidential Emergency Action Documents—secret executive orders pre-staged for crisis signature—date to the Eisenhower era; declassified summaries show past drafts suspended habeas corpus and authorized military tribunals.
Facilities and infrastructure
COG relies on a constellation of deep underground facilities: Cheyenne Mountain, Mount Weather, Site R, and additional classified bunkers beneath the Appalachian Mountains. Independent witnesses such as former government geologist Philip Schneider have described a nationwide maglev shuttle network (“TAUSS”) linking continuity hubs and non-public research sites.
21st-century deployments
- COVID-19 (2020–2021). USNORTHCOM issued standby orders codenamed Octagon, Freejack, and Zodiac to prepare for mass incapacitation of national leaders.
- U.S. Capitol attack (January 6, 2021). Emergency relocation and secure-communications protocols were activated when rioters breached the United States Capitol.
Integration with advanced and non-human contingencies
Whistleblowers have linked COG channels to programs dealing with recovered non-human technology and post-disclosure governance. Former intelligence officer David Grusch testified in 2023 that a decades-long crash-retrieval effort is coordinated through the same compartmented authorities that oversee continuity deployments. In 2020, former Israeli space-security director Haim Eshed asserted that a Galactic Federation works with the U.S. government on disclosure timing and operates liaison facilities below ground in America’s continuity network.
Perpetual emergency status
The national emergency proclaimed on September 14, 2001 has been renewed annually by every president, allowing the executive branch to retain extraordinary powers and, according to researchers, keeping parts of COG in continuous low-level operation.
By country
Australia
During the years following the federation of Australia in 1901, several locations were considered for the national capital. One of the criteria used to assess sites was that they needed to be inland so that they could not be attacked from the sea. It was also believed that locations away from the coast would have a lower incidence of disease.[4] During the Cold War the Office of National Assessments believed that it was unlikely that Australian cities would be attacked by the Soviet Union during a nuclear war.[5]
The modern Australian Government has plans to enable the continuity of government. As of 2008, these formed part of 'Plan Mercator', which the government has described as aiming "to minimise the impact of a national security emergency on critical government operations and provide for the rapid resumption of 'near normal' government business under alternate arrangements until normal operations can be resumed".[6]
Under the Australian system of government, there is not necessarily a requirement to maintain the Cabinet in a crisis. If the Prime Minister was killed in a disaster, the Governor-General would need to appoint their successor. A national unity government could also be formed in a major crisis.[7]
A range of legislation, including the Defence Act 1903 and several health bills, include provisions that can be activated in response to emergencies. There are also plans for the Parliament of Australia to operate from another location if it is unable to sit at Parliament House in Canberra. These plans are classified.[7]
The Canberra Times has reported that an Australian Government building in the Canberra suburb of Symonston houses communications systems that would be used to support the continuity of government if Plan Mercator was activated. The building was completed in 2007, and its secret function was disclosed as part of a job advertisement in 2008.[6]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal and most of the state and territory parliaments cancelled scheduled sittings from March 2020.[8] Federal parliamentary committees continued to operate virtually. The federal parliament met with only the number of members necessary to form a quorum present on several occasions between March and June 2020, and resumed full sittings from August that year. The arrangements in place from August allowed members of parliament who were unable to travel to Canberra to participate virtually, but these members were unable to vote in proceedings.[9][10]
Prime Minister Scott Morrison arranged to be secretly appointed to hold several ministerial positions during 2020 and 2021, justifying his appointment as the Minister for Finance and Minister for Health as being necessary in case the ministers for portfolios were affected by COVID-19 and unable to perform their duties.[11] Morrison's appointment as Minister for Health was approved in March 2020 by the National Security Committee of Cabinet as part of measures taken in response to the pandemic, but was not publicly announced. His subsequent appointment to the other ministries was not known to other members of the government.[12] An inquiry held into the matter during 2022 that was headed by Former High Court justice Virginia Bell found that Morrison had not needed to hold these ministries, as he could have been appointed "in a matter of minutes" if the ministers had been incapacitated. Morrison did not use the powers available to him as Finance or Health minister.[11]
Canada
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See also
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Graff, Garrett M. (2017). Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself—While the Rest of Us Die. Simon & Schuster. pp. 3–15. ISBN 9781476735405.
- ↑ "Executive Order 12656 – Assignment of Emergency Preparedness Responsibilities". National Archives. November 18, 1988. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
- ↑ "NSPD-51: National Continuity Policy". Federation of American Scientists. May 9, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
- ↑ Headon, David (March 2009). "Wanted: Treasure House of a Nation's Heart: The Search for an Australian Capital City, 1891–1908". Papers on parliament No. 50. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ↑ Dorling, Philip (August 5, 2012). "Secret's out: Soviets did not target cities". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Dingwall, Doug (May 31, 2018). "Building 'central to Canberra terror attack response' up for sale". The Canberra Times. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Dalzell, Stephanie; Pianegonda, Elise (March 4, 2018). "If Canberra is attacked or cut off by natural disaster, where does the seat of government move to?". ABC News. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ↑ Horne, Nicholas (April 2, 2020). "COVID-19 and parliamentary sittings". FlagPost. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ↑ Moulds, Sarah (August 24, 2020). "As the first 'remote' sitting starts in Canberra, virtual parliaments should be the new norm". ABC News. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ↑ "The Parliaments response to the COVID-19 pandemic". Parliament of Australia. July 28, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 McElroy, Nicholas (November 25, 2022). "Former prime minister Scott Morrison's secret ministries were unnecessary, Virginia Bell's inquiry finds". ABC News. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ↑ Probyn, Andrew (August 22, 2022). "Scott Morrison's power grab was set up by a handful of senior Coalition MPs — but none of them knew what would come next". ABC News. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
External links
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