Free «What Is Homeland Security» Essay

Homeland security is one of the national priorities. The welfare of a state and its citizens depends on the smooth interaction between the government and society. Homeland or national security depends on internal and external factors and includes economic, political, military, and social components. Improving the national security system is essential because it guarantees the creation of a prosperous society and the development of a better prevention mechanism for addressing modern threats and challenges.

Special Features of Homeland Security and Its Components

Based on the content and features of various spheres of social life and personal security threats, society, and a state, national security can be divided into political, economic, social, military, and other types. Political security is a state of the political system, which guarantees the rights and freedoms of citizens, social groups, provides a balance of interests, state’s welfare, and its auspicious international position. Economic security is the financially comfortable condition of life of a particular person, social group, and society, which is protected by a government. Social security is a state of the development of people, different communities, and society under the control of official authorities. It guarantees satisfaction with one’s social status and prosperous relationships without any confrontation. Military security is readiness of a state to respond to and resist external and internal military threats. The national security of a state is based on the national interests, goals, and values, which are legally enshrined in the normative documents defining the political and socioeconomic organization of society or state and cultural construction, unity, and cohesion of a particular nation.

Approaches, Goals, Organizations, and Impacts on the U.S. and Its Citizens

There are different approaches, which are relevant for the prevention and response to threats, to ensure national security. All of them are categorized as legislative, executive, and jurisdictional, and they are formed depending on the goals that are determined by a state government (Beckman, 2013). The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defines the following objectives for its work: the security and border management, the prevention of terrorism, the development and implementation of immigration legislation, the opposition to cybercrime, and the strengthening of national preparedness to confront today’s challenges (“Department of the Homeland Security,” n.d.). Given the above, one of the core approaches is the close cooperation between all branches of power and interaction with the public to inform people about potential security risks. Additionally, an important role is given to exploration and international cooperation that provides a collective resistance to challenges.

Apart from the Department of Homeland Security, there are such institutions and organizations in the United States as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Secret Service (“Operational and support components,” 2016). Agencies work in specific areas and ensure the state’s security in various directions within a single system. It is of paramount importance because the U.S. and its citizens are constantly subjected to internal and external influences (“The role of homeland security organizations and personnel,” n.d.). The first type of danger can come from individuals and organizations might destabilize the society, for example, immigrants or extremists. The second type of threats depends on the international stability. External security can be compromised by the deterioration of international relations, which ultimately has a negative impact on the internal situation in the country.

Conclusion

National security is a complex, multi-level, open, and dynamic system, which depends on such factors as individuals, society, the state, and various relations. Moreover, the formation and operation of this system is influenced by many factors: historical, geographical, ethnic, demographic, socio-political, economic, cultural, religious, and other. American security system relies on the coordinated work of agencies and departments that operate within the framework of the legislative, executive, and jurisdictional approaches. The U.S. and its citizens are subjected to internal and external influences, which can be reduced by informing the public, ensuring ongoing cooperation, and strengthening international relations.