Columbia's News21 fellows will "follow the money" and assess the "security-industrial complex" - the web of contracts and relationships the government is forging with private industry to fulfill its homeland security mandate.
We''ll look at the money being spent on homeland security -- which industries and which companies are doing what at what price, how much is being outsourced vs. being done by government employees, what new companies have sprung up with what new products/services, how the contracts are awarded and what lobbying money is being spent to get those contracts. (We will not cover traditional military/defense contracts.)
We'll assess who the big players are and their track records, where the pork is, what, if any, conflicts of interest exist, how effective the new contracts/measures have proven so far, and the potential long-term cost to taxpayers vs. potential benefits. We may also look at campaign contributions to assess any links with contracts. We may also look at what isn't being spent that should be, and why it isn't.
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