"Tonight, I propose a permanent, cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security to unite essential agencies that work to protect our country. . . . Today no single government agency has primary responsibility for security in our homeland. Indeed, as many as a hundred different government agencies have some responsibility for homeland security, and no one has primary responsibility for coordinating them. . . . We must bring them together under a single department."
— President George W. Bush, Address to the Nation, June 6, 2002
Which of the following was the primary purpose of the domestic reorganization proposed in the excerpt?
- To consolidate various federal agencies to improve coordination and prevent domestic terrorist attacksAnswer
- BTo transition American foreign policy toward a strategy of absolute isolationism
- CTo revive the containment policies utilized against nation-state adversaries during the Cold War
- DTo reduce the size and regulatory scope of the federal government in accordance with supply-side economic principles
Answer
To consolidate various federal agencies to improve coordination and prevent domestic terrorist attacks
The correct answer is correct because the September 11, 2001 attacks exposed significant communication gaps and lack of coordination among different federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Proposing a single, cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security was aimed at consolidating these agencies to ensure a unified effort in preventing domestic terrorism.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The creation of the Department of Homeland Security and post-9/11 domestic security realignment