The post-9/11 federal homeland security paradigm and the adoptive capacity of public administration theory and practice

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks redefined the federal approach to disaster planning. The post-9/11 paradigm shift, a multi-pronged approach called "homeland security" strategy, now incorporates a multitude of man- and nature-made disasters to include border and transportation security; emergency preparedness, response and recovery against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats; as well as information analysis and infrastructure protection. These new priorities were communicated to the state and local governments.; The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional study is two-fold: to analyze the post-9/11 federal homeland security (FHS) priorities' acceptance among the Virginia's local public emergency-management practitioners; and, explore the factors that explain the degree of adoption.; The degree to which Virginia localities have adopted the FHS priorities is investigated through an opinion survey of Virginia's local practitioners. The survey is designed to shed light upon two key research questions: (1) Have the priorities of the new federal homeland security strategy been accepted as the local priorities? (2) Is population a factor whether or not the federal HS priorities were accepted? It is hypothesized that (1) localities have paralleled the federal government in expanding their approach to disaster management; and, that (2) larger localities (population greater than 50,000) have done so to a greater extent than the small ones (population up to 50,000). Each research hypothesis is tested through operationalization of five federal HS priorities.; This study's survey instrument replicates California's August 2002 survey questionnaire, administered less than a year from the terrorist attacks. While California findings show local practitioner's acceptance of the federal priorities in general, crime and economic concerns reported to be the officials' top two concerns over the homeland security-related threats. This study also explores the probable theoretical explanation of the overall FHS priorities acceptance or lack thereof, by analyzing the two likely explanatory concepts: path dependence and bureaucratic management. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...