Customer Reviews

System Under Stress: Homeland Security and American Politics, 2nd Edition (Public Affairs and Policy Administration Series)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Donald Kettl's thin but rich book, "System under Stress," examines homeland security and American politics. He begins by observing that most of us tend to think that things will be in the future as they were in the past, that the political system behaves in predictable ways. However, he goes on, shocks to the system raise intriguing and powerful questions. Specifically, how have the events of 9/11 affected American politics and governance?

He raises a series of key questions, such as: "But what happens to that system when a major shock shakes its foundations? What can such a profound upheaval tell us about the system's ability to respond? How does it help define the core truths and enduring principles that lie at the heart of American government? And how can we evaluate the system's response to better understand how it can adapt to the diverse challenges we are likely to face in the future?"

This volume explores a number of issues emerging from a consideration of such questions. What systemic failures led to the successful and devastating attacks on 9/11? What kind of coordination problems across government agencies need to be addressed/ What about the roles of state and local governments? How does the political system address the policy challenge of protection against threats that can never be fully eliminated? What about the balance between security and civil rights and liberties? How does a system, in short, respond to strain? Kettl uses a medical analogy: attacks like 9/11 serve as a kind of political "stress test" to diagnose what works and what does not work in the American political system.

This book is a well crafted analysis of such questions. Worth reading and worth thinking about. . . .

LOVE this book condition, its just what I was lookin for, no binds or anything done to it, just like NEW!!...SWEET!!

Donald F. Kettl's 2007 Public Affairs book "System under Stress" is an excellent book that details President George Bush's failure during two major events: the 9/11 terrorist attacks; and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Kettl explains how these 'failures' created a 'stress test', (a test where Government, FEMA, and other emergency organizations in the USA, couldn't cope. And, as a result, let every American family down).

I highly recommend this confronting book to anyone who is interested (in the pre-Obama years), that deal with how Homeland Security works; how Government works; and how we deal with issues that affect our lives.

That's why I give the book five stars.

Robert Helliger,

Narre Warren, Melbourne, Victoria,

Australia.