In 2002, no single federal department had homeland security as its primary objective. Now it is their mission. They are integrating our resources to meet a common goal. Their most important job is to protect the American people and their way of life from terrorism. The Department has a single, clear line of authority to get the job done. While they can never eliminate the potential for attack, particularly in a society that is as open, as diverse, and as large as ours, they can significantly reduce the nation 's vulnerability to terrorism and terrorist attacks over time (U.S. Department of Homeland …show more content…
Our strategies and actions will be consistent with the individual rights and liberties enshrined in our Constitution and the Rule of Law. We will blend twenty-two previously disparate agencies, each with its employees, mission, and culture into a single unified department whose mission is to secure our Homeland. The DHS will be a cohesive, capable and service-oriented organization whose cross-cutting function will be optimized so that we may protect our nation against threats and effectively respond to disasters (U.S. Department of Homeland