Meeting the Challenges of Establishing a New Department of Homeland Security

In the absence of a comprehensive strategy, the formation of the new Department of Homeland Security alone will not ensure greater success in protecting the American homeland. This CSIS report outlines a strategic framework for homeland security and concrete recommendations for establishing the Department. The report highlights major areas for Congress and the Bush Administration to address: articulating a homeland security strategy; conducting threat and vulnerabilities assessment; strengthening White House coordination through the Office of Homeland Security; crafting a phased implementation strategy with an adaptive, flexible bureaucracy; protecting preexisting missions of offices subsumed by the homeland department; defending civil liberties; and reforming the organization and mission of the federal government.