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Zachary Currie Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English (1102) 5 September 2013 Topic Proposal: What influence does the Patriot Act have on the American people? Introduction/Overview The Patriot Act is a very long law that was passed after series of terrorist attacks on eleventh of September. Around three thousand Americans died that day, and the rest of the population was in awe. Many people looked to the government to protect them. About a month later, congress passed a bill called the Patriot Act. The goal of the patriot act is to catch those suspected of terrorist activities, and the department of home land security was born. Many critics of the Patriot Act claim that it allows government agencies to spy on us and violates our first and fourth amendment rights. The patriot act is a very controversial topic to those who actually care about their country because it is the ultimate example of the dividing line between safety and liberty. It has been about twelve years since the terrorist attacks of New York and Washington. What a kind of effect has that had on our vision of America. The patriot Act is an important act to study because twenty years from now it might have been looked at as the turning point of democracy in America. Other significant issues I will look at related to the Patriot Act will include the government definition of a terrorist, the psychological effect on twenty first century citizens, people affected by this, and historical events similar to this event. Initial Inquiry Question(s) What is the patriot act and how does it affect the American people in their liberty and security?

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My Interest in this Topic I have a great interest in topic because it is a very controversial and current issue. I was a very little kid when these events happened and grew up in the so called post nine eleven world. In my life time I have seen two simultaneous wars, a dehumanizing security screening everywhere I go, and a gradual increase in the power of the federal government. I am also a history minor and have looked at similar events when the people surrender democracy for protection of the state. 1. What do you already know? I know some of the effects and some of the major issues of the Patriot Act. An example would be like the Department of Homeland Security and increased surveillance in medical, banking, email, and other things. 2. What do you hope to learn? I would like to know the public opinion of these issues on both sides. I would also inquire the nature of its name, because patriots tend to fight oppressive power, and I would like to see the full effect of the Patriot Act over twelve years, and would like to make an educated prediction of the next couple of years. Next Steps I will use a transcript of the law from a government website. I will gather professional public opinion from historical websites and some opinion websites; I will have to be careful of the credibility of these websites as they may not be accurate. Books will be a great place to gather historical info. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-107publ56/pdf/PLAW-107publ56.pdf