Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores law and policy, terrorism, and environmental security. It covers the operational challenges in homeland security, with chapters on intelligence, critical infrastructure protection, transportation security, and emergency management. The book contains some case studies that demonstrate not only the complexity and interconnectedness of the homeland security enterprise but also the challenges of implementing policies, strategies, and programs that meant to prevent, deter, respond to, and recover from a vast array of disasters. The economic health of the United States greatly influences both the capacity and the efficiency of the homeland security and emergency management communities. One might surmise that despite record-setting spending and massive popular support for military operations, the collective sense of safety and security within our nation and within our communities has been fundamentally challenged.