Preparing for the worst: An analysis of homeland security collaboration among state government agencies

Collaboration among government agencies is critical to homeland security preparedness. Previous research has identified the quality of information-sharing and confusion over responsibilities as factors that influence interagency collaboration (GAO, 2003; Reddick, 2008; Sauter & Carafano, 2005). This thesis used the survey data gathered by the Council of State Governments and Eastern Kentucky University (2005) to examine what factors influence collaboration among state law enforcement agencies. Several linear probability models estimated the effect of a state agency's involvement in homeland security activities and its allocation of resources on the likelihood that the agency reported an increased level of federal collaboration. Overall the estimated models demonstrated low explanatory power, but the findings do imply that state participation in terrorism-related investigations can enhance state-federal collaboration.