James Carafano, one of the nation's leading experts in defense and homeland security, directs Heritage's Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies. He is an accomplished historian and teacher as well as a prolific writer and researcher on a fundamental constitutional duty of the federal government: to provide for the common defense. His research focuses on developing the national security required to secure the long-term interests of the United States -- protecting the public, providing for economic growth and preserving civil liberties.