Key Findings:

Since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, the federal government has mounted an unprecedented domestic effort to protect America from terrorist threats. Part of that effort involved a massive reorganization of government; in March 2003, some 22 federal agencies were combined into a new Cabinet-level entity called the Department of Homeland Security. But the initiative also involved new money — stacks of it.

Starting in late 2008, reporters at the Center for Investigative Reporting and the Center for Public Integrity embarked on a collaborative effort aimed at investigating how effectively those dollars were spent and how efficiently programs were managed.