9/11 Public Policy

After a terrorist attack of any kind there are always consequences that must be faced. Sometimes the point of the terrorist attacks is because the organization wished to send a message or to influence policy in their favor. However, after the 9/11 attacks administrators realized that the United States was not prepared for a tragedy of this kind and had little to no measures to prevent one, this lead them to create new programs and policies. Terrorist organization’s goal often comes down to one of the following: regime change, territorial change, policy change, social control and status quo maintenance. The main purpose of a terror attack may well be to influence public policy. An example used by Neumayer and Plumper, was how after the suicide

Administrators took 9/11 as a lesson and implemented many new policies. Some changes that administrators made were improving airport security, domestic intelligence and monitoring and restricting access to bomb making materials. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was one of the departments that was created. The TSA focuses on providing security for passengers and their cargo when traveling in the United States. The TSA is another clear result of how terrorism influenced and guided public policy. Another way administrators in the United States were affected by the 9/11 attacks was by improving their defense agencies and creating a way for them to work together and share any intelligence they may have. Policy makers realized that agencies like the FBI, CIA, and law enforcement across the federal/state/local entities could accomplish a lot more by sharing past, present and future intelligence. The attacks perpetrated on 9/11 instead of creating division amongst all the agencies helped create the Department of Homeland Security. Obviously, all these policies that were put in place after the terrorist attacks in New York were not part of terrorist organizations intentions. They woke up a sleeping giant if you will. Terrorism is often designed to disrupt and discredit the process of government by weakening it administratively and impairing normal operations. Luckily, the president and all entities of the government of the United States did not succumb to this. The perfect breeding grounds for terrorism are found in the countries whose administration lacks confidence, cracks and deteriorates after a terrorist attack, which is exactly what those terrorist groups want. Terrorist might also attack the United States in hopes of getting them involved into their local conflict, by pressuring the government to