A Qualitative Evaluation of the PATRIOT Act
The purpose of this thesis is to conduct a qualitative evaluation of the USA PATRIOT Act, an acronym for "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism." Signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 9, 2001, the PATRIOT Act has provided sweeping new powers for both domestic law enforcement and intelligence agencies designed to facilitate efforts to prevent terrorist attacks on the United States. The Act gives federal officials greater authority to trace and intercept communications, vests the Secretary of the Treasury with new regulatory powers, creates new crimes, new penalties, and new procedural efficiencies for use against domestic and international terrorists.
Using a case study methodology, the thesis examines responses to the PATRIOT Act and compares its provisions to other legislation in the United States and in other countries that directly shape the capacity of government to investigate the activities, attitudes, and behaviors of private citizens. The thesis demonstrates that the PATRIOT Act offers opportunities for government abuse and violation of the human, civic, and political rights of citizens and non-citizens alike. The thesis concludes with a recommendation that the PATRIOT Act should be repealed.
The terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 precipitated a spate of legislative activity rarely seen in Washington, D.C. The USA PATRIOT Act, which originated as H.R. 2975 in the House of Representatives and S. 1510 in the Senate, was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 9, 2001 (Doyle, 2002; Summary of USA PATRIOT Actà , 2002). The U.S. Senate voted for the bill, 91-1, with only Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) opposing it. The House of Representatives voted 357-66 to pass the PATRIOT Act (Williams, 2002).
According to Pike (2002), the USA PATRIOT A...