The Same Agency, Different Name

When facing a threat of mass destruction the United States often responds by creating a new department or office. This is the case whether an office or department is actually needed. Doing so calms the people into thinking the government is on top of things and recognizes the new threat. Paul Boyer's book By the Bombs Early Light: American Thoughts and Culture at the Dawn of the Atomic Age discusses the creation of the Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) and its duties as an office. The duty of this office, finding ways to protect the American people, can be directly compared to the creation and duties of the newly created Department of Homeland Security. President Bush explicitly spells out this new department's role through speeches and various white house documents. Both Paul Boyer's book and President Bush's speeches both present ideas of how to prepare for an attack. Preparation includes making emergency kits, having evacuation plans, being informed, and practicing individual safety procedures. In the wake of new national security threats the Federal Civil Defense Administration and the Department of Homeland Security were both created in an attempt to provide a way to prepare and to create a sense of security for the American people. …