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... > social science subjects > criminology and criminal justice > criminology > law enforcement > legislation/legal issues > USA PATRIOT Act
... > social science subjects > politics and international relations > political science > American politics and society > Fourth Amendment > statutes important to the Fourth Amendment > USA PATRIOT Act

Preferred term

USA PATRIOT Act  

Definition

  • The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act, more commonly cited as the Patriot Act) is an act that has greatly increased the surveillance, investigative, and enforcement powers of governmental agencies as a central part of the War on Terrorism. The act can be read as a direct response to the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. It quickly became one of the most controversial series of laws of the era, raising troubling questions over the nature and scope of the U.S. government's antiterrorism and crime-prevention tactics, as well as questions over the civil liberty and privacy protections of American citizens. [Source: Encyclopedia of Social Networks; USA PATRIOT Act]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/USA_PATRIOT_Act

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