The Declaration of Independence

Sadly, most Americans have forgotten what they learned in school concerning how our federal constitutional government operates, delineation of branch responsibilities, how laws are crafted and the various statutory constraints/restraints governing our legal systems. We generally refer to these tenets as Civics 101. Any understanding of US Homeland Security policy must begin with an understanding of the American philosophy of government – what it was designed and tasked to do – and more importantly, what it was neither designed nor tasked to do. Without this background, many Homeland Security-related actions of the Legislative and Executive Branches will be misunderstood.

1. As you review the Declaration of Independence, look for the signs of federal government responsibility in providing for the needs and preserving the rights of the people.
    
2. Remember the key tenets as you review additional material. What you are striving for is a general feeling for the intent of our Founding Fathers when faced with what we consider today as a Homeland Security-related incident (i.e., how they might have viewed the federal government's responsibility regarding terrorist incidents).