Variables of change : the DOD/DHS relationship in a domestic disaster environment

Abstract

This study looked at the relationship between the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Homeland Security (DHS). Moreover, it reviewed the interface between their two subordinate organizations with primacy over domestic disasters, the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Understanding the importance of intergovernmental relations (IGRs), the paper dissected the interrelatedness of the aforementioned organizations in regards to hurricanes and the subsequent involvement of federal preparation and response efforts. The networked relationships were evaluated using a mixed methods approach focusing on secondary sources of data and several variables. Jones, Hesterly, and Borgatti (1997, 1) wrote of the importance of social systems (networks) when looking at bureaucratic relationships. The vitality of collaborative networks is grounded in literature and has been espoused by Waugh and Streib (2006, 134) in the world of emergency management; this study expanded on their premise.