Department of Homeland Security - Essay Example

Department of Homeland Security, and Science and Technology Policy and Politics Introduction Science and technology has proven its significance and worth towards a country's unparalleled stability. On the other hand, there were several instances for science and technology's unrestricted capabilities are often neglected. The United States' haunting experience five years ago has continually disturbed the country. Thus, the Department of Homeland Security strengthens further its attempt in protecting and securing the US community through its different programs and strategies that involves the use of science and technology. Science and politics are two different issues that co-exist in the society. Science is about the search for objective evidence that would support successful predictions about the world around us; while politics is about governing based on the public's acceptance of the legitimacy and accountability of elected officials. On the other hand, in the U.S. democracy, science and politics are uniquely dependent on one another, although the relationship has never been an easy one. The search for truth in science and for legitimacy in politics both require systems for generating public trust, but these systems are not the same, and indeed they are often incompatible. (Branscomb, Oct. 14, 2006) The need for both to be acceptable in the society entails great deal of issues that are needed to be resolved to attain the same goal of achieving strength and concord for the community. The establishment of the Department of Homeland Security has created several issues about its yet another political dogma that might eventually become another burden of the federal government that will threaten the US community. Science and Technology Policy and Politics Although science and technology has an unlimited capacity in preserving peace and stability of a nation, the need for a government and public support is an integral part in its utmost success. Even the most basic research requires financial assistance from the government such that it may be able to provide an incomparable assistance to the society. This irrefutable fact, on the other hand, provides restrictions in its competence of granting both practical and cultural value to society. (Branscomb, Oct. 14, 2006) Moreover, yet other factors that concerns public policy affect the various accomplishments that may have been attained by science and technology. Foreign policies that promote or limit collaborations of scientists worldwide may prevent new and innovative ideas to launch. The educational system that may train and develop the new breed of scientists in the future provides a very limited if not anything at all. The achievement of these goals of science and technology depends on new scientific institutions and facilities that would define the leading-edge capabilities of science. Finally, scientists, like other citizens, do care about how society uses the knowledge their research creates. In addition, for this reason, a great number of citizens are happy to serve on advisory committees even without financial compensation. (Branscomb, Oct. 14, 2006) Scientists have often opposed the government although they have been accepting federal funding. The federal government perceives them as insufficiently grateful of their assistance for which these scientists overly contesting the government policies. Regardless of the situation, the government could not ignore the fact that science and technology and the people behind its research and implementation are a significant factor in attaining the nation's goals. Politicians still rely on the competent, objective, and useful science advices of the scientists such that in most cases, they are incapable of instigating the different functions of the government agencies that requires sound technical advices. (Branscomb, Oct. 14, 2006) The Department of Homeland Security and Science and Technology Policy And Politics in the US Safeguarding the nation has turned out to be the main concern of the US federal government since the 9/11 bombing. An enormous attention has been given to the wellbeing of the citizens. In its quest to achieve its goals of assuring the safety of the nation and its people against the threat of terrorism the Department of Homeland Security has continuously explore the different areas and strategies to further improve on their services to the US society. Established in 2002 by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296), the Department of Homeland Security has already incorporated a number of research and development activities that were transferred from other agencies. There was however other areas in the government with which the department has been participating into though it remains to be the only federal agency that conducts homeland-security based research and development strategies. (Morgan, Oct. 14, 2006) The primary research and development arm of DHS is the Directorate for Science and Technology (S&T Directorate) that provides federal, state and local officials with the technology and capabilities to protect the homeland. (http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/ editorial_0530.xml, Oct. 14, 2006) Its goals of working together with the government concerning the technical issues it has been dealing with, the DHS associates itself with the science and technology policy that is gearing up towards the same end. The DHS's Directorate of Science and Technology aims at providing the federal and local officials with state-of-the-art technologies and other resources to protect it from destabilization. To fulfill this goal, S&T Directorate developed its own specific strategic objectives. These objectives are as follows: Develop and deploy state-of-the art, high-performance, low-operating-cost systems to prevent, detect, and mitigate the consequences of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive attacks; Develop equipment, protocols, and training procedures for response to and recovery from chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive attacks; Enhance the technical capabilities of the Department's operational elements and other Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies to fulfill their homeland security related missions; Develop methods and capabilities to test and assess threats and vulnerabilities, and prevent technology surprise and anticipate emerging threats; Develop technical standards and establish certified laboratories to evaluate homeland security and emergency responder technologies, and evaluate technologies for SAFETY Act certification; and Support U.S. leadership in science and technology. (http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/ interapp/editorial/editorial_0530.xml, Oct. 14, 2006) On the other hand, the Office of Science and Technology Policies established since 1976 by the Congress aims at presenting the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs to the President and others within the Executive Office of the President. Aside from this, OSTP is at the same time authorized to lead an inter-agency effort to develop and implement sound science and technology policies and budgets; work with the private sector to ensure Federal investments in science and technology that contribute to economic prosperity, environmental quality, and national security; build strong partnerships among Federal, State, and local governments, other countries, and the scientific community; and finally to evaluate the scale, quality, and effectiveness of the Federal effort in science and technology. (http://www.ostp.gov/html/_whatwedo.html, Oct. 14, 2006) Science and Technology Directorate's research and development (R&D), which is an imperative in science and technology policy, has accepted significant support from the US government such that its spending has totaled an approximately $1.4 billion this year. Half of this was spent on creating new and powerful weapons against terrorism. Science and technology programs are intended for developing technologies that would secure the country from the sea, land, and air attacks of the terrorists trying to destabilize the US. (Carafano, et al, Oct. 14, 2006) The situations above clearly show an undeniable dependability of the federal government on the different science and technology policies through research, development and implementation of the results toward its fight against terrorism. Terrorism, as the motivation factor of the Department of Homeland Security, is left as probably just one of the concerns of science and technology but not its main pursuit. The development of highly powered weapons that may be used by the country against terrorism is another area that is subjected to the science and technology research and development. Recent discoveries that involve special weaponry obtain not as much attention in the science and technology policy, in contrast to the DHS's implacable initiative about these materials. The S&T Directorate of DHS researches, develops, and tests homeland security technologies. Because of its goal in pulling off the best anti-terrorism technology that would safeguard the country, the DHS continuously reaches out to the different universities and institutions that may come up with the best homeland security. They provide awards and financial assistances to the participating institutions who take on with the challenge. The DHS also works with private-sector industry and academic institutions to adapt technologies for use by federal, state, and local officials and emergency responders. (Carafano, et al, Oct. 14, 2006) The country's extensive consideration on science and technology and its significant contribution against terrorism had become more obvious in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. The role of science advisors in the White House has become more noteworthy with the establishment of homeland security. Advising the federal government and the entire US society as well regarding the different situations wherein their research and development results are most useful is another considerable similarity between the DHS and the science and technology policy that is beneficial to the community. The importance of political advising through science and technology has proven its worth back when Thomas Jefferson launched federal science two centuries ago with his commission to Lewis and Clark. It had continued since then throughout the 19th century. The two World Wars had created a significant role in which World War II became the turning point of federal science advising. It was in the 1940's and 50's when the President and top government policy makers were linked with the nation's technical infrastructure in universities and industries. It was within the white House where they were taught of the rapidly developing fields of science that would influence, transform, and revolutionize the society. The unambiguous focus of science advice was military preparedness, and national security is still an important focus of science advice - where the Department of Homeland Security comes in. (Marburger, Oct. 14, 2006) The creation of the Department of Homeland Security entails the notion of urgency in the R&D aspect of science and technology. Scientific advices, however requires a thorough research since future consequences of even the well-thought and well-studied research results demands a complete process of scientific research. If advice is to make a difference in policy, it must satisfy the following criteria: The technical work on which the advice is based must be technically credible; policy relevant, and politically legitimate. More specifically, the scientific analysis must be up to standards of due diligence, using good methods and critical analysis of data. Policy relevance requires that the issues address what the policymakers actually want to know in a timely manner. Legitimacy of the advice derives from an independent scientific effort to get at the truth, free from being shaped as a rhetorical instrument of one interested party or another. All three of these attributes of good advice must be perceived as such by many relevant stakeholders with different preferred outcomes. (Branscomb, Oct. 14, 2006) However, the importance of science and technology in the country's fight against terrorism is not alone the attribute it can offer the US federal government. Science and technology policies are boundless that it can deliver numerous significant elements towards a country's security and stability. There had been issues concerning the misuse of science advices by the Bush administration. These issues were exposed by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The accusations include the suppression or manipulation of high ranking officials of the information bearing on public health and the environment, the replacement of experts on advisory committees for their political views, and the deletion of the important scientific information from government websites. The accusation were then doubted by the Office of Science and technology Policy (OSTP), not on whether the events truly happened but on the interpretation of the issues that might affect the community and the country's democracy. (Branscomb, Oct. 14, 2006) Conclusion Science and technology policy is yet considered as the most important aspect in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. The federal government has played a critical role in carrying out its research and development challenge, especially with defense R&D. As well as the homeland security technology needs, such as aviation security, port security, and cybersecurity, require extensive federal involvement. Although the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has been effective in coordinating some interagency science and technology (S&T) programs, the level of the homeland security technology task would further restrict its limited capabilities and staffing. (http://www.issues.org/18.2/bonvillian.html, Oct. 14, 2006) The Department of Homeland Security's most vital task is to develop an international science and technology policy to further improve the coherence of the department's foreign efforts, including the sharing of critical homeland security technologies. (Carafano, et al, Oct. 14, 2006) The DHS has its own limitations that may not live up to the science and technology policy. However, if its objectives are attained in an honest and credible manner with an unbiased support from the federal government, there is a greater chance for the department to run for a longer term. Moreover, its similarities with the science and technology policy are considerably the most important factor that the federal government should focus such that the goal of securing the homeland, together with its people, my take place. The understanding that scientists insist on being allowed to inform policy through balanced and expert views of relevant technical facts and best judgments is perhaps the most essential structural element in the bridge between science and politics is. Politicians and scientists must therefore understand that their advices should have a strong basis yet not alone based on technical analysis. (Branscomb, Oct. 14, 2006) References and Works Cited: "About OSTP." http://www.ostp.gov/html/_whatwedo.html." Oct. 14, 2006. Branscomb, L. "Science, Politics, and U.S. Democracy." 2004. Issues in Science and Technology. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3622/is_200410/ai_n9457074. Oct. 14, 2006. Carafano, J., et. al. "Homeland Security Technology, Global Partnerships, and Winning the Long War." 2006. Backgrounder #1977. http://www.heritage.org/Research/HomelandDefense/bg1977.cfm. Oct. 14, 2006 "Directorate for Science and Technology." http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/DHS_StratPlan_FINAL_spread.pdf. Oct. 14, 2006. "Homeland Security Technology." http://www.issues.org/18.2/bonvillian.html. Oct. 14, 2006. Marburger, J.. "Policy, Politics, and Science in the White House: Conversations with Presidential Science Advisors." 2005. University of Colorado. http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/scienceadvisors/marburger_cu.pdf. Oct. 14, 2006. Morgan, D. "Research and Development in the Department of Homeland Security." 2003. CRS Report for Congress. http://www.fas.org/man/crs/RL31914.pdf. Oct. 14, 2006. Read More