ABSTRACT
The six components of the homeland security dilemma establish the context within which leaders in Washington are crafting security policy today: rising costs and public expectations for higher levels of security, the overpowering effects of failures, public fear (probability neglect), political fear (security threats and gaps), diminishing domestic-legal tools, and the absence of effective multilateral tools. As a direct consequence of these combined pressures those responsible for preventing terrorism or limiting the loss of life after an attack experience their own fears of failure. The prospect of facing angry citizens, or congressional committees demanding responses to unanswerable questions, or a media intent on highlighting government failure, produces incredibly strong motivations to find and fill security gaps.
