Closely read the scenario. Then respond to A, B, and C below in complete sentences.

On September 11, 2001, foreign terrorists highjacked four airplanes to attack the United States. It was, and remains, the deadliest and most destructive terror attack in history. It was neither the first nor the last terror attack on U.S. soil, but the scale of the impact launched a nationwide focus on terrorism as a threat. President George W. Bush declared a “War on Terror”; the actual response of his administration to this directive had multiple facets.

Part of his plan involved creation of an Office of Homeland Security to help local, state, and federal agencies to work together in the fight against terrorist threats. That office later became part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), part of the executive branch that now oversees many agencies. Yet terror is not only a threat from outside the United States; the government investigates threats that are domestic in origin as well as foreign. Thus, multiple executive agencies both inside and outside of DHS have a role in counterterrorism.

In June 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland, a member of the President Joe Biden administration announced the “National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism.” This was a response to increased threats of and incidents of violence arising from groups within the United States. Several events of recent years were noted such as the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Part of the National Strategy was to improve sharing of information across executive agencies and to focus on violence, not ideology. Garland said, “the National Strategy recognizes that we cannot prevent every attack. The only way to find sustainable solutions is not only to disrupt and deter, but also to address the root causes of violence.”

a. Referring to the scenario in your response, identify the executive power being exercised as it relates to the purposes of government expressed in the Preamble to the Constitution.
b. Describe how the power identified in part A reflects a specific weakness of government that existed under the Articles of Confederation.
c. Referring to the scenario in your response, explain how Congress could use a legislative power to influence the situation.