Homeland Security: An Introduction to Principles and Practice

Since its formation in 2002―the largest government reorganization since FDR’s "New Deal"―the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has focused on a broad range of public policy, safety, and security issues. From responsible intelligence gathering and combating global terrorism to securing critical infrastructure and disaster planning and response, mounting risks and ever-changing threats have created the need for a timely resource that outlines the recent organizational changes and strategic initiatives that have emerged within DHS.

Homeland Security: An Introduction to Principles and Practice provides students and practitioners alike with the latest developments on the make-up, organization, and strategic mission of DHS. Homeland security involves a complex network of government agencies and private organizations collaborating to ensure the safety and security of the United States, its domestic and global interests, and its citizens. As such, this book offers valuable insights into the roles of multi-jurisdictional agencies and various stakeholders at all levels of government including law enforcement, the military, the intelligence community, emergency managers, and the private sector.

Many of the books currently available offer a skewed or unbalanced examination of DHS, emphasizing certain elements over others. This is the first book to provide objective and equal treatment of each of the core components that encompass DHS’s mission including: border security, immigration and naturalization, emergency management, transportation security, critical infrastructure protection, information security, public health, and intelligence and counterterrorism efforts. Each chapter includes extensive pedagogy―learning objectives, informative boxed sidebars, summaries, end-of-chapter questions, Web links, and references―for ease of comprehension and retention.

Authored by Charles Nemeth, a respected expert in homeland security and leader in homeland security education, Homeland Security provides the most complete and up-to-date overview available on the organizational and strategic initiatives of DHS, the challenges facing federal and state government agencies, and new and emerging ideas on the future of DHS and the role it should play in national and domestic security.

An instructor's manual with exam questions, lesson plans, and chapter PowerPoint^® slides are available upon qualified course adoption.

Charles P. Nemeth is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and a respected pioneer in the field of homeland security.