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INTRODUCTION TO THE ARTICLES

The study of homeland security is a challenging field of study that requires experts, students, and members of society to understand the underlying reasons for the creation of homeland security systems, as well as the configuration of these systems.  Those who examine homeland security must necessarily study data and theories grounded from a variety of disciplines, including political science, public administration, and the administration of justice.

Federal, state, and local authorities are perennially challenged by the problem of designing homeland security systems which reflect threats emanating from the current terrorist environment.  These challenges are not new, and have historically posed very serious policy questions for all sectors of society.  Unfortunately, these are challenges that are not easily resolved, and which will continue to be at the center of domestic policy.. The possibility of political violence is an unresolved problem, and exists across the nation.  There are no ideal political, national, or social solutions that guarantee immunity from the possibility of being touched by terrorist violence. 

The purpose of this online resource is to stimulate critical discussion about the attributes of homeland security systems and terrorist environments.  This resource is organized into thematic parts which correspond to the textbook’s chapters.  Articles have been selected from reputable scholarly journals, and additional articles are recommended for further study.

TEN CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS

• Does a central cause exist which explains the creation of homeland security environments?
   
• Is it possible to accurately predict the likelihood of terrorist violence?
   
• What are the policy implications of research that indicates an association between homeland security measures and civil liberty challenges?
   
• Do homeland security measures effectively reduce the incidence of terrorism?
   
• Are particular levels of authority within the homeland security enterprise more effective in managing terrorist environments?
   
• Are innovations such as target hardening effective?
   
• How popular is the current homeland security enterprise?  What explains different public opinions in different regions?
   
• What are some of the challenges faced by reformers who sincerely seek to reduce the extent of the homeland security enterprise in order to preserve civil liberty?
   
• How important are international legal institutions and conventions for preventing terrorist violence?
   
• Has enough research been conducted on the sociological and psychological impact of a pervasive homeland security environment?
   

CHAPTER 9.  Porous Nodes: Specific Vulnerabilities

Patricia Bibes assesses political violence emanating from Colombia’s multifaceted political groupings.  Cottam and Marenin discuss the “dilemma” allowing the free flow of goods within the framework of NAFTA while restricting the flow of drugs within the framework of the “war on drugs.”  Delgado-Ramos and Silvina examine how U.S. administrations have focused on issues such as security and the fight against narco-insurgency and terrorism.  Prieto discusses the parameters for vulnerabilities from the perspective of the sciences.  Saltr examines how policies, practices, and institutions of aviation institutions are arranged to monitor mobile populations.  Wojciech Stankiewicz discusses the threat of seaborne terrorism, arguing that it is an overlooked threat.

Bibes, Patricia.  “Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism: Colombia, a Case Study.”  In Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 17:3 (August 2001).

Cottam, Martha L. and Otwin Marenin.  “The Management of Border Security in NAFTA: Imagery, Nationalism, and the War on Drugs.”  In International Criminal Justice Review, vol. 15 (May 2005).

Delgado-Ramos, Gian Carlo and Silvina, Maria Romano.  “Political-Economic Factors in U.S. Foreign Policy: The Colombia Plan, the Merida Initiative, and the Obama Administration.”  In Latin American Perspectives, vol. 38 (July 2011).

Prieto, Daniel B.  “Turn Back the Clock: Off-the-Shelf Security.”  Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists,  vol. 63 (May 2007).

Salter, Mark B.  “Imagining Numbers: Risk, Quantification, and Aviation Security.”  Security Dialogue, vol. 39 (April 2008).

Stankiewicz, Wojciech.  “International Terrorism at Sea as a Menace to the Civilization of the 21^st Century.”  In American Behavioral Scientist, 48:6 (February 2005).