Read Chapter 5 in our text (SWC, 2013). Focus on the discussion of the distribution of power in the US political system. Then read the US Constitution. (A listing of US Constitution links and other resources is posted in the Introduction section of our Moodle page.) Our constitutional power arrangements are not all there is to the US political system but they are the foundation. With this reading in mind, complete the following tasks:

TASK #1: List five sections of the U.S. Constitution (1789) that you believe are most important for national security. Be prepared to justify your selections in class.

TASK #2: The executive departments and agencies (such as the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, Treasury, Homeland Security, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency, the National Security Council) are not specifically mentioned in the US Constitution. So how did they come about? To answer this question, it might help you to look at https://www.justice.gov/about. When and how was the Department of Justice created? What organization preceded the Department of Justice? When and how was this earlier organization created?

TASK #3: Look at this organization chart of the Department of Justice: https://www.justice.gov/agencies/chart Pick three organizations within the Department of Justice that you think have a role in national security. Summarize the missions of each of these organizations.

TASK #4: Pick one of the organizations you identified for Task #3 and explore its website. Does it list jobs available? If, what kinds of jobs are open?

TASK #5: Explore the website of one of the following organizations: Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Customs and Border Protection, Federal Emergency Management Agency. For your chosen agency, answer these questions:

A. What is the organization’s mission? (Short summary.)

B. To which department, if any, does the organization belong? (Hint: By “department,” I mean the so-called “cabinet” departments. See link: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-trump-administration/the-cabinet/.)

C. What kind of jobs or career fields are available in this organization?