Week Three Discussion Paper

The Department of Homeland Security was created in the aftermath of one of our nation's greatest tragedies: the events of September 11, 2001 (Newman, 2002). Almost immediately the Department began overseeing 22 federal agencies that pre-existed 9/11. The rationale for this transformation was to improve the coordination of the federal government's various security efforts both internally and externally in an effort to forestall any future terrorist threats. What has occurred, however, is a Cabinet Department that is highly bureaucratic with too many divergent responsibilities. Its effectiveness is questionable and serious consideration should be given to the abolition of the Department and its agencies reassigned to other Departments.

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.

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

On September 11, 2001, there were 2,996 casualties and more than 6,000 others were injured in the terroristic attacks of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Some may say that these acts of terrorism changed the American homeland security for the better, others disagree. Since the events of September 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security was created and expanded into one of the largest divisions of the federal government. This paper consists of the lack of homeland security before September 11, 2001, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, and the development of this department, which is leading America to be safer since the last act of terrorism.

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

The Department of Homeland Security was formed in the face of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 as part of a nationwide effort to protect the U.S. against terrorism. This department became the third largest federal department in the United States; compose of 22 different federal agencies each with a function with the same objective. The goal of the Department of Homeland Security is to have a singular department with a shared vision, and integrated results-based operations. The federal agencies of DHS include: The U.S. Customs Service, The Immigration and Naturalization Service, The Federal Protective Service, The Transportation Security Administration, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Office for Domestic Preparedness, The Federal Emergency Management Agency, Strategic National Stockpile and the National Disaster Medical System, Nuclear Incident Response Team, Domestic Emergency Support Teams, National Domestic Preparedness Office, CBRN Countermeasures Programs, Environmental Measurements Laboratory, National BW Defense Analysis Center, Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Federal Computer Incident Response, National Communications System, National Infrastructure Protection, Energy Security and Assurance Program, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Secret Service (www.dhs.gov/creation-department-homeland-security). Via the passage of the Homeland Security Act by Congress in November 2002, the Department of Homeland Security officially

To shortly overview DHS mission statement the vision of homeland security is to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards. Three key concepts form the foundation of our national homeland security strategy designed to achieve this vision: Security, Resilience, and Customs and Exchange (Department of Homeland security).The Department of State mission is: The U.S. Department of State is the lead institution for the conduct of American diplomacy and the Secretary of State is the President’s principal foreign policy advisor (State Department). Neither of this agency primary focus is on immigration. Back in 1990, U.S Commission on immigration reform issued an executive summary in 1994 pointing mayor flaws in current policy and need for change. One key point is there is a lack clear information and leadership (U.S Commission on Immigration Reform). Immigration policy center pointed one similar issues in their report (Immigration Policy Center). Moving forward I proposed a new alignment of these government agency that is enterprising and address all of the immigration cycle and lifestyle. That report to the president as a cabinet member this proposed cabinet member encompass all the existing federal agency that pertain to immigration plus a spokesperson that is from the department of Education, Labor, Homeland(only terrorism updates), Treasury,

The rationale for establishing the Department of Homeland Security was due to the terrorist attack on September 11th (Haddow, Bullock, & Coppola, 2011). In March 2002, President Bush approved the Homeland Security Presidential Directive-3 (HSPD-3) incorporating threat conditions and protective measures to reduce vulnerabilities and minimized terrorist attacks against the United States (Haddow, Bullock, & Coppola, 2011). In addition, President Bush signed the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (HS Act) (Public Law 107-296) and declared that Tom Ridge was Secretary of a new Department of Homeland to protect the United States from further terrorist attacks, reducing vulnerabilities, and lessening the harm from possible terrorist attacks and natural

Since the attacks on September 11th, 2001, intelligence activities has been one of the most controversial issues facing this country with one of the most controversial being the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Created in November of 2002 and concepted just two weeks after the attacks, the DHS focuses in five goals; prevent terrorism and enhance security, secure and manage the borders, enforce and administer immigration laws, safeguard and secure cyberspace,

“We have learned as a Nation that we must maintain a constant, capable, and vigilant posture to protect ourselves against new threats and evolving hazards. But we have also learned that vigilance and protection are not ends in and of themselves, but rather necessary tools in the service of our national purpose.”(Napolitano, 2010, p.iv) In the wake of the September 11th, 2001 attacks our nation has taken upon itself extreme vigilance to ensure the security and defense of the American people. The relationship between homeland security and homeland defense is one that is tightly knit. Each has a very distinct mission set but somewhere along the spectrum they cross over and mutually support each other in the best interest of the nation.

The creation of the department of the homeland security was primarily the most significant policy to curb the events related to September 11, 2001. These events and the ongoing terrorists’ attacks made the federal government pass new laws, such as creating the Department of Homeland Security, and also the development of crisis management programs among others. On June 6, the former president, Bush decided to form a cabinet level department of the Homeland security in order to merge federal agencies with homeland security missions. The president already had formed the White House Office of Homeland Security to aid in condonation role for the agency. The administration worked closely with Congress to ensure homeland security measures have been monitored.

The events of September 11, 2001, spurred feelings of anger, fear, patriotism, and nationalism across the United States. The events of that day are as monumental in United States history as the assassination of J. F. Kennedy. The effects of the 9/11 terrorist acts on the political consciousness of the general public are comparable to those of the Vietnam War. However, the effects of the terrorism in 2001 on subsequent U.S policy making, especially foreign policy, was unlike anything in the history of the United States. The terrorism prompted a reorganization of the federal government that has been described as the most extensive and complicated since the 1940s (Kettl, 2013, pp. 63-64). Although the United States had experienced terrorism in several forms before the attacks of September 2001, they had never been as spectacular and devastating as the September 11 attacks. Prior to the attacks, support for counterterrorism programs and legislation was weak. After the attacks, counterterrorism programs and legislation became a primary agenda. Nine days after the terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush established an “Office of Homeland Security” within the White House by executive order. The executive order also created a council charged with the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to protect the U.S from further terrorist attacks. Homeland Security was envisioned primarily as a counter-terrorism measure, but it was, in fact, an effort to establish

The Department of Homeland Security was created in November 2002 in attempts to enhance homeland security following the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States. This department started its operations in March 2003 and represented a combination of 22 federal agencies. This department and the agencies were mandated with the task of coordinating and centralizing the leadership of most of homeland security activities. The main role of the Department of Homeland Security is implementing the National Strategy for Homeland Security that was introduced in July 2002. The department has the dominant share of activities since it

One of the major criticisms following 9/11 was the failure of the government and industry stakeholders to jointly anticipate and quickly respond as there was existing intelligence available from many sources which would have suggested the presence of an imminent threat. The U.S. Patriot Act helped to break the perceived wall which prevented the sharing of information and which led to many of the intelligence failures. As a result, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created in order to streamline and merge existing federal agencies with either overlapping jurisdictions or disparate functions. The DHS functions are primarily the coordination of aviation law