Prior to preparing your discussion post, complete the assigned readings and review the assigned websites for Week One. Review the Martin (2015) text’s examination of the following as set forth in Chapter 1:

• The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001;
• Executive Order 13228 “Establishing the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council;”
• The Homeland Security Act of 2002.
• Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Report: A Strategic Framework for Securing the Homeland (QHSR published in 2010)

Review Steiner’s (2015) discussion of federal, state and local governmental functions within the context of Homeland Security objectives set forth in Chapter 1 of the Steiner (2015) text. As noted by Martin (2015), the Department of Homeland Security (DSH) incorporates a conceptual summary of Homeland Security imperatives, within its Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Report: A Strategic Framework for Securing the Homeland (QHSR). The QHSR sets forth five missions, each of which are complemented with associated goals, which Martin (2015) notes, was published in 2010. The readings in the assigned texts provide information on agencies at the federal, state and local levels that coordinate and contribute to homeland security objectives.

For your initial post, define homeland security. Your definition should include supporting examples. Identify and address at least one potential limitation with your proposed definition. Review the QHSR, select one of the designated missions, and explain how it informs on responsibilities and functions across agencies at various jurisdictional levels that mitigate hostilities, threats, hazards, and consequences. Next, evaluate the merits and concerns of the legal and ethical issues that you identified in your introductory post. Finally, take a position on whether or not the authority and scope of homeland security should be expanded by federalizing state and local emergency response. As a reminder, be sure to incorporate citations when appropriate.

The content of the initial post must contain a minimum of two references to the assigned weekly reading materials. No quotations are permitted. Your posts should incorporate analytical and evidence-based statements and reflect a synthesis of the assigned readings. Your initial post should be a minimum of 400 words.