Domestic Intelligence

Successful domestic counterterrorism policy is vital to keep the homeland safe. In this effort, policymakers must resist the oft-exhibited tendency to overreact to the threats we face. This overreaction, time and again, takes a similar form: In the face of a perceived existential threat, we expand the scope of the government's powers while simultaneously diminishing oversight of and accountability for the use of those powers. We fail to ensure that these powers will be employed in a manner consistent with our fundamental values. Civil liberties--such as privacy and freedom of expression, association, and religion--are often curtailed. In the wake of 9/11, government action exhibited this tendency across a wide range of counterterrorism policies.