The Issue Of Homeland Security

The role of Homeland Security originated from the Founding Fathers, under the United States Constitution, that created a system and gave the primary role of homeland security to state and local governments (Oliver, 2007). When state and local governments became overwhelmed and could no longer effectively deal with a crisis then homeland security government would assist those governments (Oliver, 2007). The relationship was created through the United States Constitution in Article 4, Section 4, which declared that “the United States shall guarantee to every state in this Union a Republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence” (U.S. Constitution, 2015) (Oliver, 2007). President John F. Kennedy was elected 1961, and made it a priority to necessitate organizational changes with homeland security (Oliver, 2007). President John F. Kennedy felt that local governments were doing little if anything to prepare for natural disasters and civil defense (Oliver, 2007). This became a priority for the Kennedy administration, and the office of civil and Defense mobilization was split into two agencies that became known as the Office of Emergency Planning and the Office of Civil Defense (Oliver, 2007).

After the terrorist attack September 11, 2001, the United States government increased their investments in security. Many innocent lives were lost because of that incident, which worried the United States of America about self-defense or Homeland Security. Homeland Security was signed to become a law by the President George W. Bush in November 2002. Their main priority was to secure the country from the threats such as international terrorism. The Department of Homeland security had to focus on five goals such as prevent terrorism, enhance security, secure the borders, enforce immigration laws, safeguard, and cyberspace. In order to achieve these goals a lot of work was needed.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security was formed more than a decade ago with a very significant mission of safeguarding America's homeland from hazards, threats, and national disasters. This department conducts its mission through securing the country's borders, preventing terror attacks, and responding to incidents or threats to its citizens (Miller, n.d.). Generally, the most important roles of the Department of Homeland Security are to lead a concerted national effort in securing the United States and preserving the American way of life. The department was established in 2002 in reaction to the 9/11 terror attacks and has since developed a nationwide strategic plan for evaluating and updating its mission statement and effectiveness of operations. These plans can be updated and transformed to accomplish the needs of the Department for Homeland Security and the American people.

As we move into a new era were a more robust and urgent homeland security program is needed, it is important to talk about how officials are managing all of the risk. There are a multitude of threats; from terrorism, where tactics are all the more unconventional an unpredictable, to climate change, with extreme weather conditions causing severe droughts or other catastrophic storms. The risk accepted by federal officials must be weighed and prioritized in a manner that is conducive to the longevity of the nation but also eliminates political or other personal agenda. To ensure a standardized approach the Department of Homeland Security adopted a risk management. The following will look at defining what risk management is as well as an example of how it is being incorporated within the homeland security enterprise and how doing so is of benefit.

The homeland security is a department responsible for developing various mechanisms aimed at ensuring that the country is safe. The main focus of homeland security is to shield or reduce the cases of terror attacks. The prevention and response to both manmade and natural disasters also fall under homeland security (McElreath, Jensen, and Wigginton, 10). The Department of Homeland Security, therefore, has a broad range of responsibilities. At its formation in 2003, the department was composed of twenty-two federal agencies with over 180,000 employees. Homeland security’s formation was necessitated by the September 11th attacks in United States. Today, the Department of Homeland Security

Homeland Security is a relatively new concept that became a national issue following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. There are multiple definitions that define what Homeland Security is. According to Defining Homeland Security: Analysis and Congressional Consideration, “Homeland Security, regardless of the definition or strategic document, is a combination of law enforcement, disaster, immigration, and terrorist issues. It is the responsibility of civilian agencies at all levels. It is a coordination of efforts at all levels of government” (Reese, 2013). The 2010 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review and Report defines Homeland Security as” a concerted national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive”. (Homeland Security, 2010) There are multiple Federal, State and Local agencies involved in

Only eleven days subsequently the September 11, 2001 acts of terrorism, George W. Bush, who was the president at the time, made an announcement. As reported by Elizabeth C. Borja, the announcement was that he would “…create an Office of Homeland Security in the White House and appoint Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge as the director” (Borja 4). About one month after the attacks, Senator Joseph Lieberman introduced a new bill meant to establish a Department of National Homeland Security. This again followed the same recommendations of the Hart-Rudman Task Force on Homeland Security. This bill was intended to establish a Cabinet-level department and to unite certain agencies that were vital in critical infrastructure protection. Again, there were hearings held for this specific bill as well, and once more there was no action taken upon it (Borja 5).

In response to what marked the United States forever, the September 11 attacks, the federal government procreated what is known as The Department of Homeland Security. The main responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security consisted of having to protect the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to terrorist attacks, man-made accidents, and natural disasters. In another words, the existence of the Department of Homeland Security is to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards. Though many different government agencies see and define Homeland Security accordingly to their protocol, the National Strategy for the Department of Homeland Security was able to

Bush, he announced that the United States was becoming a hit target for the terrorists threatening the civil liberties (GOA, 2014). For that very reason, he created the Department of Homeland Security. Currently, the DHS's strategic plan focuses on preventing terror attacks and enhancing security. "Preventing terrorist attacks on the homeland remains and ought to stay the foundation of homeland security" (GOA, 2014). However a review of DHS's programs, including those related to counterterrorism, nurture inquiries about whether preventing terror attacks is the core mission of the agency. Additionally, checking on whether the programs initiated has recorded any progress in safeguarding U.S from threats of terror attacks (Department of Homeland Security,

First article I selected was written by Columbia University Press (2012), Homeland Security, United States Department of. The author’s research was taken from The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th edition. Columbia University Press conducted a tremendous research that provides readers clear insight on how and when the Department of Homeland Security was established and under what circumstances. The author indicates that DHS was established in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on Pentagon and World Trade Center. The

After the attacks on September 11th, 2001 the United States was forced to reassess its policies over the defense of the country within its borders. Until that time the United States’ homeland security was under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice (Masse, O’Neil, & Rollins, 2007). After the attack the Executive branch of the government created a new organization that would be responsible for deciding where the biggest threats to the country were. This was the birth of the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for assessing all risk to the Nation within its borders and developing way to mitigate these threats before a disaster can take place. One of the documents that the Department of

The Homeland Security Division was formed in the wake of terrorist attacks and implemented by President Bush after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. This policy was formed to place a national policy into place for Federal departments and local agencies to identify and protect the United States from additional terrorist attacks. What many don’t know is that this plan defines orders and roles for local state and governmental agencies as well, in order to carry out the goal. I will explain how six sub-groups come together to form the Department of Homeland Security’s one enterprise operation.

Fifteen years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks there has been adjustments made since then when protecting the nation from threats that are unknown. In 2001, President Bush proposed a new department that will be in charge along with other government agencies to work together to make sure threats don’t get out of hand (Tom Ridge). This new department,The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and their main job is to protect the people. In order to execute this goal the Department of Homeland Security must “secure the nation against terrorist attacks, to protect against and respond to threats” (Andrew). Eleven days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks Tom

1. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 reduces the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism.

The distinction between homeland security and homeland defense is pivotal in gaining a better understanding of how these agencies work and how they correlate to our nations infrastructure. We must understand the designated missions set forth for both these agencies while learning how they meet the tasks appointed to them and resources utilized to accomplish the mission. Learning the fundamentals of our nations infrastructure information must be provided to showcase how these agencies utilize the appropriate resources to guarantee the security of these critical infrastructures. Offering an opinion in the definition of homeland security and how resources are being utilized to fix vulnerabilities is vital to showcase what is being distributed and learned on a researchers and readers level. Homeland security and homeland defense play a pivotal role in ensuring our borders are protected.