Conclusion: The Policy Choice, Output, and Effect (Creation of the Department of Homeland Security)

(DHS Coat of Arms, from Wikimedia Commons)

            The creation of DHS was an avowed public-policy statement of the federal government in protecting and securing the homeland. It was the pro-active approach of the Bush Administration on its domestic policy on terrorism. DHS carries all of the government’s anti-terrorism activities and programs.

            DHS was a product of the policy choice of the elected officials, and their policy output had resulted into the creation of the Department. On the other hand, the policy impact was the effect of both the policy choice and policy output, which is to protect and secure the homeland from another terrorist attacks. The process of establishing the DHS went through five stages and these are the: agenda setting, policy formulation, decision-making, implementation stage, and evaluation phase.

            To legitimize the policy choice of the Bush Administration, the legislative proposal H.R. 5005 was submitted to the Congress for enactment into law. The choice to confront the terrorists through a new government agency was not a result of an outburst of emotion over the tragic incidents of 9/11, rather, the choice to establish the DHS was the outcome of careful studies and recommendations made by congressional leaders, commissions, political think-tanks and by the Bush Administration. There were also insights and suggestions from the civil libertarians, union organizations and even from officials of the affected government offices. All were taken and reviewed for considerations during the public hearing.

            The policy output was the result of the policy choice made by the federal government. Quoting Peters again, he said, “Policy outputs are policy choices being put into action.” The choice to confront head-on the threats from homegrown and transnational terrorist groups had resulted in the formulation of counter-terrorism programs that will prepare, prevent, and respond to terrorist attacks. This policy output had resulted in the consolidation of 180,000 federal employees from around 50 agencies who are involved in homeland-security efforts.

            Policy output also means policy action of the government on anti-terrorism, such as the development and training of the DHS personnel on techniques in covert operations, improvement of the technological equipment in the field to monitor the activities of target personalities, and to maintain active coordination with the IC members.

            The policy effects--intended results of policy choice and policy output--have been the protection of the people from terrorist attacks and the apprehension of the terrorists operating inside the United States. Moreover, according to Peters, “the policy effects may be influenced by the success and failures of the policy choice and policy output.”

             DHS cannot win the fight on terrorism alone. The support and guidance of the originators of the policy (i.e., Bush Administration and the US Congress), were important ingredients in the success of its anti-terrorism programs. The homeland-security managers are given the important tasks of running the second biggest department in the federal government and the expectation for them to lead the agency in combating the terrorists has never been so great.

REFERENCES

CDI Terrorism Project, Chronology of Major Terrorist Attacks Against U.S. Targets, Retrieved 10 May 2004

Intelligence Reforms 1900s, CIA Specific Reforms Proposal.

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Executive Order 12333 – United States Intelligence Activities, Federal Register,

Carl Limbacher, Hillary Demands “Immediate” answers on Bush 9-11 Heads-Up, Newsmax Retrieved May 16, 2002

St. Petersburg Times On-Line, “Goss: FBI Not Capable of Preventing Terrorism,” St. Petersburg Times, Retrieved May 27, 2002

CDI Terrorism Project, Chronology of Major Terrorist Attacks Against U.S. Targets,

Phil Brennan, “We could have prevented 9-11, Congressional Intelligence Chairman Says.”

Don Van Natta Jr., and David Johnston, “Anti-U.S. Views at Pilot Training School Prompted Agent’s Alert”, The New York Times, May 22, 2002

Ibid.

Pearce, Jean. The ACLU’s War on Homeland Security, FrontPageMagazine.Com, 11 June 2003, Retrieved 11 May 24

US Department of State, International Information Programs, Washington File, Executive Summary of US Commission on National Security Report, 31 January 2001, Retrieved 11 May 2004

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S. 1449, Bill Summary & Status for the 107th Congress, Retrieved 13 May 2004

Scardaville, Michael, Principles of Creating an Effective U.S. Department of Homeland Security, The Heritage Foundation, 12 June 2002, Retrieved 18 May 2004

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King, John, Wallace, Kelly, and Meserve, Jeanne, Bush Wants broad ‘Homeland Security’ overhaul, CCN.com, 7 June 2002, Retrieved 18 May 2004

Mescolotto, Andrew N., SEA States Opposition to Nelson, Breaux, Chafee Amendment, Retrieved 26 May 2004

ACLU Says Homeland Security Department Long on Secrecy, Short on Needed Accountability, ACLU Press Release, June 25, 2002, Retrieved 13 May 2004

Congressman Ron Paul, 13 November 2002, U.S. House of Representatives, Retrieved 19 May 2002

Loughlin, Sean, Democrats question items in Homeland bill, CNN Website, 18 November 2002, Retrieved 14 may 2004

Bill Summary & Status for the 107th Congress

King, John, Wallace, Kelly, and Meserve, Jeanne, Bush Wants broad ‘Homeland Security’ overhaul, CCN.com, 7 June 2002, Retrieved 18 May 2004

Peters, Guy, B., American Public Policy (Promise and Performance), CQ Press: Washington DC, 2004

DHS Organization, Who Will be Part of the New Department?, Department Of Homeland Security, Retrieved 18 May 2004

Peters, p.168

The DHS Strategic Plan – Securing our Homeland.

Government Performance and Results Act of 1993

Bennet, Jeremy, 18 Dec 2003, Gilmore Commission Releases Final Report on Homeland Security, Government Technology, Retrieved 12 May 2004

Peters, p4.

Peters, p.5