Legislation and Interagency Homeland Security Planning

Legislation and Interagency Homeland Security Planning

Assignment Overview

The Office of the President of the United States (POTUS) is ultimately responsible for ensuring the country maintains the highest possible levels of homeland security. Under Article II of the Constitution, the President is responsible for the execution and enforcement of the laws created by Congress. Fifteen executive departments — each led by an appointed member of the President’s Cabinet — carry out the day-to-day administration of the federal government. They are joined in this by other executive agencies such as the CIA and Environmental Protection Agency, the heads of which are not part of the Cabinet, but who are under the full authority of the President. This includes planning for and enacting legislation designed to contend with natural and man-made disasters, and other threats to the homeland.

Congress proposes and approves most of this legislation; however, there are times when the President may deem it necessary to undertake unilateral legislative actions in the form of executive orders or presidential directives. These decisions can be contentious ones, given the nature of democracy; however, these are long-standing and legal authorities granted to the Office of the President.

For this assignment, we will examine a case study in which POTUS exercised his authority to act unilaterally, via executive order, with the intention of enhancing homeland security.

Executive Orders on Protecting the Homeland

Case Assignment

Your Task:

The president’s action is not unique. From immigration policy to international agreements, he has made repeated maneuvers around normal constitutional constraints on executive power.

1. Briefly explain the differences between presidential directives and executive orders (presidential unilateralism). How would you chart the benefits of the president’s action toward the private citizen?

2. Locate and discuss an executive order issued by the President that directly impacted homeland security. This should include the specific executive order, its stated directives, and how it impacted homeland security, either positively, negatively, or, both.

Be sure to properly cite the quotations that you use to support your statements. For more information, please consult OWL: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Assignment Expectations

Length: This Case Assignment should be 3-5 pages, not counting the title page and references.

References: At least two references should be included from academic sources (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles). Required readings are included. Quoted material should not exceed 10% of the total paper (since the focus of these assignments is critical thinking). Use your own words and build on the ideas of others. When material is copied verbatim from external sources, it MUST be enclosed in quotes. The references should be cited within the text and listed at the end of the assignment in the References section (preferably in APA format).

Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to question.

Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity.

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Module 3 – SLP

Legislation and Interagency Homeland Security Planning

For this SLP, your assignments will be based on a unique scenario, which has directly impacted Homeland Security. The scenario for Module 3 SLP is as follows:

Terror scenario:

Terrorists know about the reliance of Americans on natural gas; they have determined that North American natural gas pipelines are soft targets of opportunity. Their focus will be on automated SCADA pipeline monitoring. SCADA refers to Industrial Control Systems. The terrorists are attempting to take full control of critical gas pipeline infrastructure, causing gas pipeline overpressurization and resultant fiery explosions, thus creating a “domino effect” throughout the system.

Video: Liquefied Natural Gas Safety and Emergency Response

The FBI is fully aware of their actions and is working in conjunction with state and federal agencies to round up these terrorists.

In your Department of Homeland Security role, you will:

· Identify some possible state and federal agencies involved in this action and list their particular roles. Which agency is at the helm, and why?

· To mitigate future potential attacks on SCADA monitoring, list some possible safeguards. Which agencies will be involved in this joint effort?

SLP Assignment Expectations

Length: This Case Assignment should be 3-5 pages, not counting the title page and references.

References: At least two references should be included from academic sources (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles). Required readings are included. Quoted material should not exceed 10% of the total paper (since the focus of these assignments is critical thinking). Use your own words and build on the ideas of others. When material is copied verbatim from external sources, it MUST be enclosed in quotes. The references should be cited within the text and listed at the end of the assignment in the References section (preferably in APA format).

Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to question.

Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity.