Though it may roll off the American tongue with ease at this point, "homeland security" is a neologism coined by the Bush Administration. The symbolism of a "homeland," and its connotation of an ethnically exclusive territory, is likely here to stay. Whoever heads the Department of Homeland Security is less likely to institute dramatic changes than to seek to manage inherited issues, while refining the mandate of the youngest government department. These inherited issues will include developing systems to manage the department's huge acquisitions and contracting needs, which were critiqued in a November 2008 GAO report. Long term shifts in national priorities could include a reduction in the resources expended in the name of homeland security, or allocations could shift away from technological solutions to presumed problems toward more analysis, in the interest of understanding and assessing national security needs.
Obama's pick for the head of Department of Homeland Security is Arizona governor Janet Napolitano. Her experience with immigration issues, as the leader of a border state, is a signal to many observers that Obama intends to pursue Napolito's centrist approach. Immigration standards were tightened considerably in the name of terrorist threat under the Bush administration.
Obama's pick for the head of Department of Homeland Security is Arizona governor Janet Napolitano. Her experience with immigration issues, as the leader of a border state, is a signal to many observers that Obama intends to pursue Napolito's centrist approach. Immigration standards were tightened considerably in the name of terrorist threat under the Bush administration.
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