Security = money.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security came into existence midway through federal fiscal year 2003. Since that time, the agency has poured billions of dollars worth of contract work, assistance and pay into every state and even beyond U.S. borders.
To follow the money - and show how it impacts your community with jobs and grants - you'll need to get acquainted with several government data sources, all available from the IRE and NICAR Database Library:
Federal contracts - The General Services Administration keeps a database of almost every agency's contract transactions, including Homeland Security. The database includes company name and location, dollar amount, type of work, location of work and other pieces of information. (More details: www.ire.org/datalibrary/databases/fedcontacts)
Federal Assistance Award Data System - If the Department of Homeland Security provides a grant, this database shows the name of the recipient, location, the specific federal program, the amount, date and, often, a project description. (More details: www.ire.org/datalibrary/databases/faads)
Consolidated Federal Funds Report - Unlike the award data system, this report, produced annually, shows the total dollars committed to a specific state, county or city. While it does not identify the recipients (as the previously mentioned databases do), it identifies the agency and specific program, and includes contracts, payroll, grants, loans and other types of transactions. (More details: www.nicar.org/data/cffr)
Each database serves a different purpose. For mapping, Consolidated Federal Funds reports can show county-by-county totals by general spending categories. The Federal Assistance Award Data System can pinpoint recipients and more detailed look at type of recipient (for example, nonprofit, college or university, small business, local government) and often, details about the use of the money. The federal contracts database is a tool to show how businesses are interacting with the Department of Homeland Security.
These downloadable reports are helpful in understanding more about homeland security grants:
General Accounting Office report, "Reforming Federal Grants to Better Meet Outstanding Needs," #GAO-03-1146T (Search for the report at www.gao.gov). The United States Conference of Mayors, "Tracking Federal Homeland Security Funds Sent to the 50 State Governments," available at www.usmayors.org/72ndWinterMeeting/homelandreport_012204.pdf. The U.S. House Select Committee on Homeland Security, "An Analysis of First Responder Grant Funding," available at http://homelandsecurity.house.gov. The California Institute for Federal Policy Research, "Federal Formula Grants and California" www.ppic.org/main/publication.asp?i=481