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Change for America: A Progressive Blueprint for the 44th President
Title: Change for America: A Progressive Blueprint for the 44th President
Date: January 15, 2009
Author: Edited by Mark Green & Michele Jolin
Institution: The Center for American Progress Fund & New Democracy Project
Bibliographic Entry: “Change for America: A Progressive Blueprint for the 44th President.” Edited by Mark Green & Michele Jolin. January 15, 2009. The Center for American Progress Fund & New Democracy Project.
Electronic Link: http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/2008/changeforamerica/
Key Words: DHS, FEMA, terrorism, nuclear threats, immigration, intelligence reform, presidential transition, national security, domestic policy, economic policy, White House, agency reform
Summary of Key Points, Issues, Conclusions:
This publication seeks to “help guide the presidential transition process and steer the government in a new, more progressive direction.” The guide offers nearly 60 chapters focusing on economic policy, national security policy, domestic policy and White House issues. With regard to homeland security, the publication addresses such topics as the threat of terrorism, nuclear threats, the intelligence community, the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and immigration. Only ten chapters are available online but the print edition is available for order.
The chapter on the Department of Homeland Security, Rebuilding to Create What Should Have Been from the Beginning, provides recommendations on how to transform DHS into a “model agency.” These recommendations include:
- filling key DHS vacancies with counterterrorism and natural disaster preparedness experts, as well as skilled managers with experience supervising large bureaucracies
- making appointments based strictly on competency
- working with Congress to increase the department’s budget in order to close security gaps
- screening 100 percent of air cargo for explosives and passengers and personnel for weapons
- allocating 100 percent of counterterrorism grants to cities on the basis of risk
- installing technology at every airport checkpoint that can significantly improve screeners’ ability to spot concealed weapons
- deploying technology at seaports to screen all incoming cargo for radiation
- completing the U.S. VISIT system by adding an exit feature
- ending the visa waiver program
- restructuring and downsizing the department so that it focuses only on counterterrorism, leaving other functions, including natural disaster mitigation, response, and recovery, to other agencies
Name of Researcher: Nathan Brown
Institution: Integrative Center for Homeland Security, Texas A&M University
Date Posted: November 18, 2008