“What Should Homeland Security Leaders Be Talking About?”

What should Homeland Security leaders be talking about

Homeland security has elapsed to the stage five or the post-problem stage of the Issue Attention Cycle . It could however , jump even to the first stage of the cycle , if any catastrophic incidents or natural disasters occur . It is during this period that the professionals involved in congressional , bureaucratic , academic and industrial activities associated to homeland security plan and access strategies . When dead terrorists or disrupted plots are brought to public attention , it takes only a while before it again vanishes from being

an important public issue . The stage five of the Issue Attention Cycle correlates to the least political will to alter or reinforce homeland security . During these times , issues like funding , threats intelligence , response , and of late , pandemics are talked . The homeland security during these times will work in incremental progress , focusing on questions like how prepared are we How prepared should we actually be ? And , How do we close this gap . The operational agenda is drawn towards creating a culture of preparedness , review planning process tools , education , training and development of homeland security planners . However , when some calamity erupts , incrementalism is abandoned

Futuristic homeland security leaders are always on the lookout for prospective and innovative attacks . At the stage five of the cycle they are more like live ammunition seeking weapons . Elected officials need to do some brainstorming to find solutions to the already known vulnerabilities . Elementary schools , chemical plants , medical care systems and viral attacks - are among the innumerable vulnerabilities the country is exposed to . These are only some of the many unprotected targets in our country . The virus causing the foot and mouth disease can be easily brought into the country to affect a large scale of livestock population , which can significantly affect food related businesses employment and economy . An environment demanding or at least supporting a substantial change would arise , when a significant national event arises . In such a case , what would those changes be . Would the changes be more or less the same but with more vigor or would it be a rededication to the fundamentals of federalism . Alternatively would it redefine the core civil liberties

It is important to recognize now as to what homeland security leaders would recommend after the next tragedy . What would their stand be when administrations change at the city , state or national level . These need to be discussed and answers prepared , before the discussion subsides . Responses to such open ended questions would emerge from opinions of people who care for homeland security at times when homeland security is not a national priority . Their individual ideas and collective discussions will include a mix of research experience , ideology and bias . Prospective participants for the debate would include political officials , professional commentators , interest group representatives , public administrators and academics , who can be rightly called as stage five leaders

Like any other evolving institution , homeland security also has a past . A statue outside the National Archives , which houses the home of the Declaration...