One of the more contentious homeland security debates has concerned fusion centers—state and local run organizations dedicated to information sharing and analysis. These centers have raised concerns regarding civil rights and the monitoring of lawful political and religious activities. There have also been concerns about their effectiveness and the quality and timeliness of the intelligence produced. But while fusion centers certainly saw their share of shortcom​‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍​ings in their early years, there has been substantial progress in their national security role. Question: Are fusion centers an effective and efficient mechanism to exchange information and intelligence, maximize resources, streamline operations, and improve the ability to fight crime and terrorism by merging data from a variety of sources? Must be based on factual academic information (not personal opinion) supported with citations to at least two (2) academic referen​‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍​ces