Following the events of September 11, 2001, a core issue that lay dormant beneath the surface of everyday politics roared to life, confronting policymakers, journalists, activists, and citizens with what has arguably been the central civic dilemma of the new millennium. How do we strike an appropriate balance between concerns about guarding citizens against future acts of terrorism, while minimizing infringements on civil liberties? The Bush administration and certain members of Congress argued that fundamental changes in intelligence gathering and law enforcement were necessary to protect national security, an assertion that resulted in both the founding of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act in October of 2001. The latter initiative has prompted serious criticism from both policymakers and activists, who assert that certain provisions compromised established civil liberties of American citizens. Indeed, evidence has accumulated that government agencies substantially overstepped the expanded powers of the PATRIOT Act, engaging in illegal surveillance activities. This dilemma, and the conflict that has unfolded around it, form the central issue of this book.