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Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978  

Definition

  • The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) provides a statutory framework for the U.S. government to engage in electronic surveillance and physical searches to obtain “foreign intelligence information,” which generally encompasses evidence of international terrorism, espionage, sabotage, or clandestine intelligence activities. Since World War II, presidents have claimed inherent constitutional authority to conduct warrantless surveillance to protect against national security threats. [Source: Encyclopedia of the Fourth Amendment; Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/Foreign_Intelligence_Surveillance_Act_of_1978

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