Department of Homeland Security: Its role in a free and democratic society.

Department of Homeland Security : Its role in a free and democratic society

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 , the United States of America realized that determination and sacrifice alone were insufficient to meet the threat of terrorism both here and abroad . In the years that followed , the nation went through an extraordinary transformation in an effort to provide domestic security (Sauter and Carfano . Drawing strength from the combined efforts of the federal government , state and local officials , businesses , non-governmental organizations and private citizens , the country hastened to build the

br framework of what was to become the Department of Homeland Security (DHS

In November 25 , 2002 , the Department of Homeland Security was formed by virtue of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 . This 35-page anti-terrorism bill granted federal law enforcement agencies enhanced capabilities to monitor citizens (Armey ) The DHS was created from an amalgam of 22 federal agencies which include among others the U .S . Coast Guard , Secret Service , FEMA , U .S . Citizenship and Immigration Services , etc . A feat of inter-agency coordination and cooperation , the DHS was vested with the responsibility of protecting the U .S . territory from terrorist actions and responding to natural and man-made disasters

Prior to DHS 's inception , President George W . Bush declared the creation of the Office of Homeland Security (OHS ) as a response to the 9 /11 attacks . Its mission is to .develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks . The Office will coordinate the executive branch 's efforts to detect , prepare for , prevent , protect against , respond to , and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States (Homeland Security Council ' In January 2003 the OHS was merged with the DHS with a coordination and advisory role

The creation of the DHS was an attempt to merge several U .S . executive branch organizations related to homeland security ' into a single Cabinet agency . Being the third largest Cabinet agency , it boasts a workforce of over 200 ,000 , after the Department of Defense and Department of Veteran Affairs . It was the biggest reorganization of the government in 50 years

Whereas the Department of Defense (DoD ) shoulders the responsibility of military actions overseas , the DHS works in the civilian realm to protect the Unites States within , at , and outside its bs . The DHS works in the following areas in a continuing effort to protect every U .S . citizen

Information Sharing and Analysis . The DHS is tasked with assessing the nation 's vulnerabilities . It evaluates vulnerabilities and coordinates with federal , state , local and private entities to ensure the most effective response . The information collected and evaluated is made available to the public , state and local governments , and the private sector (Department of Homeland Security . Notable programs include

The Homeland Security Advisory System . A color-coded terrorism threat advisory scale designed to guide protective measures when specific information about a particular sector (such as air travel ) or geographic region is received . It also disseminates threat advisories and...