Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Congress passed and President Bush signed the USA Patriot Act—legislation intended to thwart the threat of domestic terrorism. Critics were quick to denounce USA Patriot as a dangerous expansion of government power at the expense of our civil liberties. Are the critics right? Or can we win the war on terrorism without sacrificing our civil liberties here at home? And what has the American experience in earlier crises, such as the Civil War and the two world wars, taught us about balancing national security and personal freedom?

Recorded on Thursday, April 18, 2002

Cast

Robert Higgs

Robert Higgs

Gore Vidal

Gore Vidal

Related

Videos

Monetary Policy And The Shadow Open Market Committee Since The 1970s

Mickey Levy on his early career working with Alice Rivlin at the Congressional Budget Office and with Arthur Burns at AEI, as well as being part of the Shadow Open Markets Committee from its early days in the 1970s.

October 16, 2026

series_item_video

Can American-Russian Cooperation Be Renewed?

Videos

Benjamin Jaros And Aharon Friedman: A Wealth Tax That Makes You Poorer

Hoover Institution fellow Benjamin Jaros and Aharon Friedman talk about likely post-election challenges to Proposition 40, the Billionaire Wealth Tax.

October 8, 2026