Constructing consensus: Homeland security as a symbol of government politics and administration

Homeland security is a recent symbol in the American political lexicon. As an outgrowth of the idea of national security, it evokes certain meanings for politicians, administrators, and the public. However, these meanings do not provide much guidance about how domestic safety can be assured, nor how American political and administrative institutions should be organized to meet threats to citizens. Using a general model of governmental information use, this study traces the political and administrative construction of meaning for 'homeland security.' First, through a qualitative analysis of contemporary documents, it traces the development and institutionalization of the term in the Federal Executive and Congress. Secondly, employing software-based content analysis, it analyzes how four groups described administrative needs for homeland security. It identifies areas where tensions regarding implementation of administrative measures for homeland security are likely to occur.