Terror, security, and money : balancing the risks, benefits, and costs of homeland security / John Mueller and Mark G. Stewart.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mueller, John E.

Contributor:

Stewart, Mark G., 1961-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Terrorism--United States--Prevention--Cost effectiveness.

Terrorism.

Terrorism--Costs.

National security--United States--Costs.

National security.

Cost effectiveness.

United States.

Physical Description:

267 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, [2011]

Summary:

In seeking to evaluate the efficacy of post-9/11 homeland security expenses-which have risen by more than a trillion dollars, not including war costs-the common query has, been, "Are we safer?" This, however, is the wrong question. Of course we are "safer"-the posting of a single Security guard at one building's entrance enhances safety. The correct question' is, "Are any gains in security worth the funds expended?"

In this engaging, readable book, John Mueller and Mark Stewart apply risk and cost-benefit evaluation techniques to answer this very question. This analytical approach has been used throughout the world for decades by regulators, academics, and businesses-but, as a recent National Academy of Science study suggests, it has never been capably applied by the people administering homeland security funds. Given the limited risk terrorism presents, expenses meant to lower it have for the most Part simply not been worth it. For example, to be considered cost-effective, increased American homeland security expenditures would have had each year to have foiled up to 1,667 attacks roughly like the one intended on Times Square in 2010-or more than four a day. Cataloging the mistakes that the US has made-and continues to make-in managing homeland security programs, Terror, Security, and Money has the potential to redirect our efforts toward a more productive and far more cost-effective course. Book jacket.

Mark Stewart is Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the centre for the Infrastructure Performance and Reliability at the University of Newcastle in Australia. Book jacket.

Contents:

Assessing risk

Terrorism as a hazard to human life

The full costs of terrorism

Evaluating homeland security spending

Protecting the homeland : some parameters

Homeland protection : infrastructure

Protecting the airlines

assessing policing, mitigation, resilience

Conclusions and political realities.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780199795758

0199795754

9780199795765

0199795762

OCLC:

707887040