Homeland Security Department of Homeland Thesis

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Breadth of Responsibilities

All of the DHS responsibilities relate back to the primary jurisdiction and mission responsibilities listed above. Information sharing and analysis, prevention and protection, preparedness and response, research, commerce and trade, travel security, and immigration all are functions of keeping our country safe from terrorists and responding to both manmade and natural disasters.

The auxiliary functions of the department such as the Secret Service, U.S. Coast Guard, FEMA, Immigration and Customs, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) all add to the breadth of DHS functionality, and fall under the primary mission statement of the department. Even the OIG, which is responsible for auditing the internal functioning of DHS including fraud and abuse indirectly operates as a function of ensuring this primary mission is carried out effectively.

Is the DHS Effectively Organized?

After a couple of re-organizations over the years, yes, it is, in the sense that all of the agencies and departments within DHS have functionality that relates to the primary mission.

However, it is clear that the department continues to evolve from its original small and narrow beginnings as a response to 9/11. And as the global situation changes, so will the primary tasks of this department. It simply has not reached full "maturity" yet. Considerations have been made from time to include agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the FBI in the DHS. However, the primary missions of each of these departments are distinct and separate from DHS. Though the FBI and ATF may be involved in the criminal aspects of terrorism or man-made disaster situations, their focus is primarily domestic and international crime.

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Besides that, the functionality of these agencies would add even more breadth to the DHS mission which could spread it even thinner than it is. It would also decrease the effectiveness of DHS' mission.

Two changes would make DHS more effective. The first is to reduce congressional oversight to perhaps two standing committees -- Senate and House -- and allow the DHS to function without 86 committees looking over its shoulder. It is unnecessary, burdensome, and detrimental to the efficient functioning of the department. And, second, create a position between directorates and the Secretary. This position would be in charge of DHS Operations -- the VP vs. The CEO -- and would be responsible for high-level department-wide operational integration of all DHS components. The mission of DHS is too diversified and every-changing not to have the position that every major corporation, and even the President has in his….....

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