S. citizens and respects the provisions in the American constitution. 5. Discussion

The question that has been asked by many simple individuals relies in the true agenda of the Patriot Act. While its proclaimers argue that it is designed to protect the U.S. citizens, its disclaimers state that it is in fact intrusive. The ultimate query then is whether the U.S. democratic process has the ability to balance the civil liberties with the national security in a context in which change occurs as the desire of the majority and the civil liberties of the individuals are protected by the court system. The indubitable answer is yes.

In response to this question, John Ashcroft said: "Some will ask whether a civilized nation - a nation of law and not of man - can use the law to defend itself from barbarians and remain civilized. Our answer, unequivocally, is "yes." Yes, we will defend civilization, and yes, we will preserve the rule of law because it makes us civilized... Terrorists live in the shadow, under the cover of darkness. We will shine the light of justice on them. Americans alive today and yet to be born and freedom-loving people everywhere will have new reason to hope because our enemies now have new reason to fear" (Ball, 2003).

However one has to recognize the limitations of the Patriot Act, they must also give it the necessary credit. In this order of ideas, the Patriot Act was not indented to further promote civil liberties. These already exist and are protected by a multitude of laws. The Patriot Act may have shortages, but these could easily be resolved in time. The aim of the Act is to protect the United States as a nation, and indirectly, its civil liberties.

6. Conclusions

The American legislative system is highly complex and this complexity is further increased by the fact that the 51 states have the liberty to develop and implement the legislations they feel are most adequate. There are however, certain acts which are enforced...

One of such acts is the Patriot Act of 2001, standing for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. The act was almost unanimously passed and it came as a response to the September 11 terrorist attacks. Even before the enforcement of the act, the U.S. had already been engaged in national and international affairs meant to fight terrorism, but their results had been limited.
The Patriot Act was the official commencement of the war against terrorism. Its contributions are multifaceted and they deal with both reconsiderations of already existent procedures, as well as the development of new agendas, penalties, or investigation techniques. The Act is highly controversial, with its disclaimers arguing that it is intrusive and does not respect the civil liberties protected by the U.S. Constitution. In offering a counter-argument, one could say that the Patriot Act has not been developed to enforce civil liberties, but to protect the American nation, and however with some limitations, it manages to balance the civilian liberties with the national need for security.

References

Ball, H., 2004, the U.S.A. Patriot Act of 2001: Balancing Civil Liberties and National Security, ABC-CLIO

Doyle, C., 2002, CRS Report for Congress - the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act: A Sketch, Retrieved at http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RS21203.pdfon January 6, 2009

2003, USA Patriot Act, Website of the American Civil Liberties Union, http://www.aclu.org/safefree/resources/17343res20031114.htmllast accessed on January 6, 2009

2008, the World Factbook - United States, Central Intelligence Agency, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.htmllast accessed on January 6, 2009

The USA PATRIOT Act: Preserving Life and Liberty, Website of the U.S. Department of Justice, http://www.lifeandliberty.gov/highlights.html. Ast accessed on January, 6, 2008