Coordinating for Contingencies: Taking Stock of Post‐9/11 Homeland Security Reforms

Abstract

O ver a decade after S eptember 11, A merican citizens are still asking themselves: ‘how much safer are we today?’ This question is also pertinent for scholars seeking to understand the post‐ S eptember 11 homeland security reforms. This paper, drawing on the public administration literature and using D on K ettl's ‘contingent coordination’ framework, sets out to discuss how well these efforts have addressed the central coordination challenges posed by homeland security. In doing so, it makes two contributions: one methodological (e.g., operationalizing the contingent coordination framework) and one empirical (e.g., assessing the effectiveness of post‐9/11 homeland security reforms). The paper concludes with an overall assessment of how to find ways to further strengthen the capacity of the US homeland security system.