Whose Responsibility Should it be to Warn the Public About Missile Threats to the United States?

The United States needs to increase its state of readiness concerning the threat of nuclear attacks, as well as establish an efficient emergency-alert warning system for the release of warning messages to the public, including measures to prevent false alerts. Based on the most recent false ballistic missile alert, which occurred in Hawaii in 2018, it is currently unclear what level of government should warn the public of such threats. The overarching responsibility of such a warning raises the research question, Whose responsibility should it be to warn the public about missile threats to the United States? This thesis applies a qualitative analysis approach to interpret data collected from literature reviews, case studies, and other sources to strengthen the assertion that there is a disconnect among local, state, and federal agencies concerning roles and responsibilities for issuing missile warnings. The research also identifies what current missile threats there are to the United States. Finally, this thesis argues that the federal government should be more directly involved in issuing warnings due to its access to the most current and accurate information and intelligence available.