Case Study on "Department of Homeland Security a in Governmental Reorganization"

Case Study 15 pages (3834 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Department of Homeland Security: A Case Study in Governmental Reorganization

The Department of Homeland Security is designed to protect the country against various threats. Most notably, it is designed to protect the United States from terrorism on American soil. This particular department was created after the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11, 2001. It is a cabinet-level post and the need for it was seen after the attacks. Originally, it appeared that very few, if any, people in the United States, in the government or otherwise, thought that the United States would be or could be vulnerable to terrorists. Many of the countries that had grudges against the United States or that did not get along with the country were shown by the American media to be poorly organized and certainly not brave enough to attack the most powerful nation in the world.

However, September 11, 2001 proved people wrong. It did something else as well, however. It showed the American people that they were vulnerable and that they must be more careful. It also showed the government that it must take more steps to protect the American citizens and others living within its borders, and that the terrorists in other countries had been seriously underestimated. With this realization, the Department of Homeland Security was created. There was some governmental reorganization that took place during this time as individuals that were believed to be worthy of this type of position were appointed to various posts that had been newly created in an effort to ensure the future safety of the country and make those that live in the United States begin to feel secure again.

Statement of the Problem

Whether the Department of Homeland Security is actually working well is something that is still strongly debated. There are those that feel it is doing a great job, and there are those that feel it is only a name without much backing behind it. There are several reasons for the different opinions that these individuals have. The main reason that many feel the department is doing its job is that there have been no more serious terrorist attacks on American soil. This is, naturally, very important. However, those that do not feel the department is doing enough are very concerned that there are still so many problems with Iraq and that many of the United States' most sincere enemies (such as Osama bin Laden) have still not been captured.

Even though the department is supposed to protect the United States, there is reason to believe that terrorists would attack again if they felt that they could, and therefore the department's job is also to see that these terrorists are stopped in other countries before they have a chance to harm the United States again. While this is undoubtedly a difficult job, the largest concern remains the fact that it does not appear to be getting done. Little has actually been accomplished and therefore the Department of Homeland Security is falling under the scrutiny of many. It does not appear as though it is "managing for results."

Research Questions/Assumptions

Assumptions have been made that the Department of Homeland Security is working well, since there have been no more terrorist attacks on the country since September 11, 2001. However, the absence of terrorist activity does not actually equate to the efficiency of the Department, and therefore there are research questions that must be examined. There are four research questions that are expected to be answered. These questions are:

1) Does the information collected through a thorough literature review regarding the creation of the Department of Homeland Security give individuals enough information about the Department and what it does?

2) What do individuals that are in the military think of what their government is doing with this department?

3) What do civilians think of what their government is doing with this department?

4) Will the Department of Homeland Security be willing to discuss their Department, their objectives and what they feel has been accomplished? (This may not be something that can be answered due to security concerns, but it will be attempted).

Main Question

The main question that comes from the information above is: Is the Department of Homeland Security really fulfilling its aims and keeping the United States safe from the threat of terrorism?

Whether this is the case is something that must be answered, as there are those that do not feel that the Department is doing enough, and many people also remain confused as to what the Department actually does. When it was formed, it was in the news a great deal, but since there have been no more large terrorist attacks on American soil, it is now mentioned much less frequently. This could indicate that the Department is doing its job, but it is also possible that the terrorists that threaten the United States have simply not yet arranged another attack. If they do arrange another attack, could it be avoided and would the Department of Homeland Security be instrumental in ensuring this avoidance?

Significance of the Study

The study is very significant, not just for military operations, but also for all people that live in the United States. The threat of terrorism is still very real and therefore all individuals must remain vigilant. When the World Trade Center attack took place, and for some time after that, there were a lot of people in the country that were very paranoid. This paranoia is not necessary, but being careful and exercising caution is still something that should be done. Those that lost loved ones during the terrorist attacks are likely more vigilant than those that did not, but all Americans are aware of what happened and the possibility that it could still happen again if caution is not exercised.

A study that deals with the Department of Homeland Security and what others think about what the department has done and what it is capable of can help Americans understand this Department better. It can also help those that work in the military to be more knowledgeable regarding this department and help others understand it more fully. By doing this, the Department can also learn about the issues that others may have and what kinds of things that they should be doing to help the American people feel safe.

Definition of Terms

There are only two terms that need to be discussed for this type of study, and these are:

Department of Homeland Security - this department was created after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and designed to ensure that the country would not experience another attack.

Terrorism - terrorism is the use of threats or the use of force to intimidate individuals or groups, and is often directed at political parties.

These definitions are the only ones that really need to be pointed out here, as the other terms that will be used in the study are common knowledge terms that should not pose a problem for understanding for any individuals that read this study or utilize its information in future studies of this kind.

Chapter Two

Review of the Literature

Introduction

Reviewing the literature is a very important part of any study. For this study, there is not a great deal of space to review the literature, but it is still significant to look at what is available on the Department of Homeland Security. There is a lot of information, but the history of the organization is something that does not have a lot written about it, since it has not been established for long enough to actually have much said about it or to determine whether it will be efficient and beneficial to America in the long run.

Availability of Literature

The amount of literature that can be found on the Department of Homeland Security is staggering. Searches on the Internet returned literally thousands of matches. However, many of these kinds of Web sources are not legitimate and it is much better to stay with government Web sites, newspapers, journals, and other media that are accepted and respected as being reliable and valid and that are much less likely to provide erroneous information.

Organization of the Literature Review

The literature review will be organized chronologically, and will look at what caused the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, what has happened to it since then, and what kinds of changes that been made during the brief time that it has been in operation. Also looked at will be how much money was spent for each of its separate agencies in 2001-2003. This is important in order to understand how the funding for various things has changed based on knowledge and information that has been obtained by the government and what has been seen to work and not work where this particular government Department is seen.

Literature Review

Even though the Department of Homeland Security has not been around that long, there has been a lot… READ MORE

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