Responsible policy analysis in aviation security with an evaluation of PreCheck

Abstract

Officials serving the public are tasked at the most fundamental level to spend funds in a manner that most effectively and efficiently keeps people safe. To do otherwise is irresponsible. In the case of counterterrorism policy-making, it is important, then, to evaluate the degree to which any gains in security afforded by counterterrorism measures are great enough to justify their cost. Risk analysis is an aid to responsible decisionmaking that does exactly that. We deal with four elements central to this approach—the cost per saved life, acceptable risk, cost-benefit analysis, and risk communication—and we discuss the degree to which risk analysis has been applied within the government to evaluate counterterrorism measures. We summarize our findings when this approach is used to assess the cost-effectiveness of airline and airport security measures, and then conclude by applying it to PreCheck, a measure that seems likely to bring considerable efficiencies to the screening process and great benefits to passengers, airports, and airlines while actually enhancing security somewhat.