Appraise the Homeland Security Act

Appraise the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the Freedom of Information Center, 2002.

The Homeland Security Act was the most sweeping reform of the government, since the end of World War II. Where, there were a number of signs pointing to fundamental weaknesses in the government's ability, to adapt and respond to terrorism. The most notable would include: the inability of the various government agencies to work together, in sharing information about known terrorist suspects and organizations. As a result, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 became law. This would organize a number of different departments and agencies under one entity that would monitor / evaluate the intelligence from all of them. Since its implementation, this reorganization has allowed government officials to more effectively monitor the activities of various terrorist related suspects. This is significant, because the Act is allowing the government to become more aggressive, when it comes to preventing terrorism. At which point, possible abuses of the law could occur. (Olson, 2002, pp. 4 -8)

In many ways, one could infer that the Act allows for less transparency and open government. Where, institutions such as the Freedom of Information Center have been at the forefront for promoting transparency. A good example of this can be seen with the role they played in increasing accountability in the Freedom of Information Act of 2002. Where, all federal agencies are required to disclose information, surrounding their activities in the Federal Register. This is significant, because it shows how in a democracy there needs to be some kind of balance in protecting the interests of the public and transparency. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 provides the government an effective mechanism for monitoring and responding to terrorist related activities. While, the Freedom of Information Act of 2002, ensures that there is a way of keeping the public informed about what is occurring. Together, these two laws provide a necessary balance in protecting the rights of individual and the safety of the general public. ("The Freedom of Information Act," 2010)

Evaluate the Bush Administration Analysis of Homeland Security Legislation, Government Executive, 2002.

The Bush Administration Analysis of Homeland Security Legislation is providing government officials with guidance as to the legal authority under the Department of Homeland Security. Where, it defines the roles and responsibility of Homeland Security officials, in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. This would include: events ranging from an attack using conventional explosives to special circumstances involving WMD's. In some cases the department is given special powers over other government agencies such as: utilizing the EPA and certain aspects of the Department of Defense in the aftermath of an event. This is important, because it provides government officials with more resources and powers in the events of a terrorist related incident. One of the biggest problems surrounding what happened during the run up to and aftermath of the September 11th attacks was: no effective command / control in place. As a result, the legal opinion as to how the Act would apply to government officials, allows them to respond more quickly to various events. ("The Bush Administration's Analysis of Homeland Security Legislation," 2002)

Assess the GAO Report: Preliminary Observations on Efforts to Target Security Inspection of Cargo Containers, 2003.

The GAO report found that in aftermath of the September 11th attacks, there was some progress in attempting to improve cargo container security, at a number of different ports. However, a variety of weaknesses still continue the most notable would include: a decentralized system, no standardized protocol for evaluating container packages and a lack of training. This is significant, because it highlights an obvious weakness that has not been addressed in the aftermaths of the September 11th terrorist attacks. If such issues are not addressed, it could mean that the improvements in other areas are ineffective, as terrorists can use this as a potential weakness they can exploit. ("Homeland Security, 2003)

The changes in Logistics and its impact on our global economy.