USA Patriot Act Analysis

Great Essays
Prior to the enactment of the Patriot Act, law enforcement and intelligence agencies immensely lacked the ability to share information. The effectiveness, improvement and development among the intelligence operations was initiated when all aspects of government were synchronized, positively impacting the scope and quality of our national security, leading to endless possibilities. The USA Patriot Act of 2001, significantly changed the fundamental framework for the federal law enforcement, which was immediately passed following the aftermath of the September terrorism attacks. Expanding security level consequentially elevated a questionable defensive behavior in efforts to protect the nations civil liberties.
The USA Patriot Act, established
…show more content…
Substituting, the previous limitless system, as the Act requires agencies only to request certain information. Law enforcement agencies must demonstrate adequate suspicions; only then could they collect limited electronic data on individuals who are suspects associated with terrorism. At that point, governmental authority law is restored to conduct roving wiretaps and engaging in surveillance of suspected terrorists. The FISA was another affected agency, increasing Federal law enforcement agencies investigations on behalf of the FISA courts. Providing organizations and private companies more authority to publicly report requirements from the FISA. Lastly, the new law disqualifies many FISA interpretations of the law and requirements, which would then be published reports on their vague interpretations, which they cannot hide.
Security system regulations usually require certain freedom limitations. With the homeland security involvement comes a constant balancing of safety measures and civil liberties. Terrorism law and intelligence agencies essentially always create controversial issues. Law enforcement, intelligence, and security areas debate for safety measures, but civil libertarians focus on personal freedoms and privacies. Even if the USA Patriot Act passed by the majority in Congress from the aftermaths of 9/11, it addressed the concerns during those tragic
…show more content…
After careful research it makes me feel a sense of hope, eagerness and patriotism for the balancing powers our government has established. The same balance we all as individuals usually have in life choices that we have. Having debates provide hope because it offers new alternatives areas to improve mistakes no matter what our future changes are, which might have been necessary to establish at that present time, but after trials and errors need new reforms. Learning from past mistakes only make our nation that much better, and as an American eager to know what the future holds. The recent reforms established a stronger level of patriotnism on my behalf because regardless of the endless indifferences and the consequences that resulted after the Act has only strengthened our government because of our founding

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The provision also violates the first amendment, it carries a gag order, criminalizing any discussion of FBI searches with the threat of prosecution. The patriot Act is supposed to use legislation created…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Post 9/11 Privacy Rights: The Case Against Electronic Surveillance In response to concerns about terrorism after the attacks on September 11,2001, the government of the United States enacted new guidelines for conducting surveillance on the public. This paper will discuss the implementation of electronic surveillance as a tool to combat terrorism and will make the case against sweeping electronic surveillance of American citizens and others in this country. Various examples of increased surveillance along with decreasing privacy right will help the reader to conclude that these tactics have not reduced incidents of any type of crime, including terrorism. This paper will also discuss several types of electronic surveillance, including the collection of metadata from telephone records, which intruded on the private lives of citizens and did not increase their safety in any meaningful way.…

    • 1377 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Patriot Act Dbq

    • 967 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The act itself was not created just because of the attacks that occurred on 9/11, but was initially created years before. Bush’s administration took the chance to bully and scare the Senate, Congress, and House of Representatives into signing the act, which they had turned down multiple times before. His administration did this by implying that any members who wouldn’t participate in the signing of the act would be blamed for any further attacks in relation to terrorism ("Surveillance Under the USA/PATRIOT Act" 2). The predicament that the administration put these authoritative people in shows how the lengths they would take to pursue the signing of the Patriot Act. Not only were the Senate, Congress and House of Representatives manipulated into signing the act, but also they had little time to even revise it.…

    • 967 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    9/11 Research Paper

    • 1403 Words
    • 6 Pages

    FISA is a court order approving electronic surveillance or the search of a target who is suspected of acting on behalf of a foreign power or terrorist organization. The use of FISA after the attacks skyrocketed. In her article “Surveillance and Transparency” Valerie Caproni states, “After 9/11, the FBI moved thousands of agents who had been working traditional white-collar cases, bank robbery cases, and narcotic cases and put them to work in the national security area” (Caproni). Not only are there more people now working on national security through FISA, but they have a wider scope of ability. “Pre-9/11 it was almost impossible for agents working on a national security investigation that was using FISA to share the information they were collecting with criminal agents.…

    • 1403 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On September 11, 2001, one of the most horrific terrorist attacks in United States history took place. After the planes had collided with the Twin Towers, the masses of the United States of America suddenly was hit with anxiety and concern. America was prepared to lose their confidentiality in exchange for refuge from whatever dangers may follow in the future. When the Homeland Security Act, was passed in 2002 by President Bush, It showed how much the American people favored the constant surveillance by the government than the danger of being in harm's way. H.L. Mencken, an American essayist, and social critic wrote, “The average man does not want to be free.…

    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This Act was sought out for success by the Bush Administration but in sight, might have been a last minute reform against terrorists for causing such disaster in America. 9/11 has not only made an impact on everyone in America but has opened the eye of many Congressmen who are trying to protect human rights. It is known that the Act is a failure in many leaders eyes but they question now arises of how to fix the problem that was created. In my opinion, the USA Patriot Act should be amended and forever taken away and give the US citizens the privacy and dignity that we…

    • 470 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    9/11 Improvements

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages

    When the shocking attack on 9/11 occurred civilians was frightened and scared from the attack. From that led the USA Patriot Act was passed on October 26,2001 to keep everyone safe and ease the fear that the american people had from the attack. As a result of 9/11, there has been many improvements of surveillance for the purpose of helping civilians safe. There are many improvements of surveillance to keep civilians safe. As stated the USA Patriot Act passed on October 6, 2001 was to ease the fear for american people.…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As a result of 9/11, the government understandably was committed to keeping Americans safe at any cost. Setting overly protective standards but as the years have gone by the objectives of the Patriot Act have shifted. The government has abused the Patriot Act, a 2007 report by the Inspector General of the Justice Department, reported various FBI cases that misused the Patriot Act to…

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    New tools accessible from the Patriot Act Before September 11th, 2001 (9/11) the United States Federal Government had methods of…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    After the biggest terrorist attack in US history, a bill was passed which was a result of what happens when a government panicked. After 9/11, the US government was afraid an attack would happen again. So in a panic, the USA PATRIOT Act was passed in the Senate on October 25 2001, just 45 days after the attack with a vote of 98:1. The USA PATRIOT Act stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act. The purpose behind its name was that it deemed anyone who violated the PATRIOT Act unpatriotic or a traitor to the United States.…

    • 1623 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The USA Patriot Act is short for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (Patriot Act 2011). After September eleventh 's attack, The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill to President George W. Bush, which he signed into law on October 26, 2001 in hopes of preventing another attack on American soil. The act was based on a Department of Justice proposal that was modified by the Congress before it was enacted into law (96). The act was made to give more power to federal enforcement officials to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the attacks on the twin towers, and the pentagon (96). This act modifies a variety of statutes like: intelligence, investigation, controlled substance, crime, privacy, and financial transactions.…

    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially curtail its domestic surveillance. Plan: The government will curtail its surveillance by only viewing collected data by means of a warrant. Intro-After the NSA reported their first transparency avowal, the publisher Omicron Technology Limited stated, “The report said 19,212 "national security letters"—administrative subpoenas that allow the FBI to collect information without a warrant—were issued last year, containing 38,832 requests for information.” These unwarranted leaks are why this problem needs to be solved. That is why we stand resolved that “The United States federal government should substantially curtain its domestic surveillance.…

    • 1880 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Being A Patriot Act Essay

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages

    3. The U.S.A. Patriot Act is an antiterrorism policy set forth immediately following the attacks of 9/11, in which various federal agencies are given increased power in determining the reach of domestic surveillance, interagency data sharing, law enforcement, immigration, individual privacy, civil liberties, and overall authority. The consequences of such an extensive act include endangerment of privacy, discouragement of free speech, potential abuses of civil liberties, an imbalanced and unchecked government authority, and increases in discrimination and profiling against Muslims, Arabs, and people who appear related to those two previous labels. Guantanamo Bay is an off shore military prison that holds people whom the U.S. consider to be suspected terrorists. Technically prisoners of the Bay are supposed to be guaranteed “humane treatment, free exercise of religion and medical treatment”(Civil Liberties).…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    After 9/11, The United States was very intent on fighting and stopping terrorism and terrorist attacks. In order to help fight terrorism a bill called The Patriot Act was passed to help fight terrorism. Since then problems have arrived with the passing of this bill, problems that lead to questioning the legitimacy of The Patriot Act. If The Patriot Act was justified, then Edward Snowden would not have had to do what he did. The United States needs supervision while enforcing The Patriot Act to make sure the right of every citizen is protected and that they do not overstep their boundaries.…

    • 1730 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Most critics of surveillance argue about how it is an abuse of power, a violation of people 's privacy, and most importantly, unconstitutional, while proponents of surveillance claim the benefit of surveillance is a reduction in the probability of high-cost events such as terrorism. Government surveillance programs, when conducted in controlled situations and closely audited by independent organizations, do not directly harm innocent civilians, especially when they benefit the safety of the general public. Surveillance, by definition, is the act of carefully watching someone or something especially in order to prevent or detect a crime. If that definition was used when discussing the issue of government surveillance, most public safety activities,…

    • 1195 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays