Assignment:
Public Safety v. Civil Liberty Paper
This activity addresses module outcomes 1, 2, and 3. Upon completion of this activity, you will be able to:
• Module Outcome 1: Discuss the future of terrorism and its effects on American civil liberties.
• Module Outcome 2: Describe the tactics used to address new terrorism challenges.
• Module Outcome 3: Explain the use of surveillance technology in preventing terrorism in the United States.
The future of terrorism presents many challenges. One of the most evident challenges is that terrorists can adapt and change methodologies, sometimes faster than government agencies can respond. The U.S. PATRIOT Act (Module 7) gave leeway to government agencies to be able to adapt quickly as well, but faced many critics due to the infringement of civil liberties. Additionally, some populations of Americans may have been incorrectly profiled not only by authorities, but also by a societal culture shift within the United States. In this module, you learned about how terrorist trends can be studied to project future patterns, and possibly discern target predictions.
In an essay of approximately 5 pages in length (at least 1,250 words), respond to the questions below. Each response must be at least 250 words. Your essay should follow APA format and your responses should be supported with citations and references.
• Describe how technologies can be leveraged to track and monitor terrorist activities.
• Remember from earlier modules that domestic terrorism accounts for over 60% of terrorist activity in the United States, even if the ideals are spillover from abroad. Then, consider counterterrorism efforts that include the use of force, financial operations surveillance, and global surveillance. Is it possible to distinguish between American civil liberties and the rest of the world? Should the same legal, and some would argue ethical, considerations be provided to all types of surveillance?
• What implications might new surveillance technologies have on the civil liberties of all Americans?
• Do you think new surveillance technologies might be used as tools of repression by authoritarian, or even democratic, regimes in the future? Why or why not?