Department Of Homeland Security Essay

America was at it’s most vulnerable point after the devastating attacks on September 11, 2001 when about 3,000 American lives were lost, and America’s security weaknesses were exploited, sending the country into a major state of fear. In response to the newly discovered security weaknesses, the US government created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Supporters of DHS, believe that the creation and implementation of the new department has made America safer than before the attacks on 9/11. On the other hand, American’s who deny the impact of DHS, don't feel any safer now.
Although 9/11 took a huge toll on American’s sense of security, supporters of DHS feel much safer now. Since the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security,

Considering airports were the main weaknesses exploited on 9/11, it's an exceptional place to start. The Patriot Act, written in October of 2001, helped support Homeland Security by giving it more freedom to find potentially useful information. Natalie Wolchover of Live Science described the effects of the Patriot Act signed by President Bush and supported by President Obama. She noted that the Patriot Act says that the “FBI can now freely search emails, phone records and financial records without a court order...and immigration authorities have the total freedom to detain or deport immigrants suspected of activities related to terrorism.” The freedom given to DHS by the Patriot Act is a huge tool to help find potential terrorists and discover attack plans. With this inheritance of freedom, Natalie reports “ As of March, according to the National Counterterrorism CEnter, the government organization

The oppositions of DHS think that the country is still vulnerable and it’s citizens are at risk. Anne Applebaum recognizes the attempts made by DHS to create a safer nation, but these attempts are inefficient. Places with low security risk are receiving a large sum of money and it's not well spent. For example she reveals “...$436,504 that the Blackfeet Nation of Montana received in fiscal 2010 “to help strengthen the nation against risks associated with potential terrorist attacks”... or the 67,000 worth of surveillance equipment purchased by Marin County, California, and discovered, still in it’s original packaging, four years later. And indeed, every U.S. state, no matter how landlocked or underpopulated, receives by law, a fixed percentage of Homeland Security spending every year.” The inefficient allocation of the department’s budget leads to a huge waste of department resources. The money being wasted could go to a better cause and ultimately boost the effectiveness of DHS. DHS has poorly allocated their money because they are poorly managed. Chris Edwards reports “DHS has suffered from management failures since the beginning. It has long been on the Government Accountability Office’s “high risk” list of troubled federal organizations.” He supported the lack organization and management by recording results to a survey conducted by The