PATRIOT ACT
MATT FORNEY
Step One: Recognizing the Problem / Setting the Agenda
The patriot act became a law October 26th 2001. It was made a law after 9/11 when the twin towers were hit to protect America from terrorists. after the attack the patriot act allowed the people to do what they wanted with the patriot act. the patriot act was needed to prevent this from happening again and to protect America. It also helps balance national security and civil rights. They have 10 titles that they cover here are two of them Title I: Enhancing Domestic Security against Terrorism and Title II: Enhanced Surveillance Procedures.
Step Two: Formulating the Policy
The act helped to make the nations security stronger and not let attacks like 9/11 happen again. The law was suppose to protect the US civilians they started using surveillance procedures and listening and watching what everyone did. Jim sensenbrenner is the author of the patriot act and he is worried that the FBI is taking the patriot act the wrong way, he believes the patriot act is a perfect balance of civil rights and concerns and national security concerns. “Seizing phone records of millions of innocent people is excessive and UN-American.” said sensenbrenner
Step Three: Adopting the Policy
some of the legislation's of this law were passed back during the cold war when we first started to monitor the soviet union and their spy network. then passed in 2001 by bush. in 2001 it went from republican congressmen F. James Sensenbrenner and the house voted it 357-66 then to the senate and passed with a 98-1 vote the next day signed by president bush. Only one person voted against this act and everyone else was for it because it is a good idea.
Step Four: Implementing the Policy
the patriot act unites and strengthens America by providing tools to intercept terrorists communication. The main purpose of the act is to stop terrorists groups and the harm they bring to U.S. The most important Sections are classified as Section 215, Section 206, and Section 6001. Section 215 sanctions the seizure of “any tangible thing” without warrant that the government has reason to believe is affiliated with an act of terrorism. These “tangible things” include books, records, papers, documents and other items. The goals are to ensure the safety of the American people but people take it as the government trying to spy on us. The patriot act helps strengthen the executive branch of government by helping law enforcement and dealing with threats from terrorists. The act strengthens the authority of federal officials to listen to communications for both foreign surveillance and local law enforcement, it provides power to the Treasury to take money and mess up terrorists finances
Step Five: Evaluating the Policy
Source: "The Patriot Act." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History: Government and Politics. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Student Resources in Context. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.
Urban, J. Kristen. "USA PATRIOT Act." American Government. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.
Urban, J. Kristen. "USA PATRIOT Act." American Government. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.