Government

The PATRIOT Act and domestic surveillance (particularly electronic, such as monitoring of emails, phone calls, etc.) have, since their implementation and practice, become an ever-increasing source of controversy amongst the American public given concerns over privacy and related issues. The PATRIOT Act and other federal laws permit law enforcement and intelligence agencies a certain level of latitude with regard to domestic surveillance.

However, the recent leaks by former NSA worker Snowden revealed an extensive program of surveillance by that agency and the intelligence community. This created a widespread outcry by sections of the public as well as within Congress and the legislative branch. The result has been open and closed hearings before Congress as well as myriad lawsuits and other legal actions by private citizens and organizations.

Clearly, there is a need for some measure of surveillance of individuals suspected of planning terrorist attacks; however, these measures are difficult to define and often necessarily covert, further complicating open discussion. Examining this controversial issue is an important part of understanding the foundations of Homeland Security.

In this case, your task is to:

Briefly discuss, using the required and outside readings and sources, your opinion of the legal and ethical role of DHS and its component agencies in domestic surveillance of U.S. citizens as it pertains to issues related to domestic terrorism.

Be sure to properly cite your quotations that you use to support your statements. For more information, please consult the Purdue University OWL: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/