Abstract

The World Trade Center attack underscored the urgent need to assess vulnerabilities in the security of American lives and property and to implement preventive measures against catastrophic events. As policy-makers grapple with homeland security challenges, a key issue they face is determining when private sector security activities or government interventions are most effective in promoting national security. We argue that in many private sector settings, a combination of regulations, insurance, and third party inspections offers the most auspicious approach to improving security at reasonable economic cost.

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Citation

Kunreuther, Howard, Geoffrey Heal, and Peter Orszag. "Interdependent Security: Implications for Homeland Security Policy and Other Areas." Brookings Institute Policy Brief 108 (October 2002).

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