To put it simply, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, changed America. The attacks have had an impact on both the lives of Americans and American society itself. The effects of the attacks rippled through almost every aspect of American life. A key aspect of American society that was completely changed as a direct result of the 9/11 attacks was national security. The attacks caused there to be a nationwide sense of vulnerability and a demand for increased national security. This prompted the U.S. government to reevaluate security measures and also to place a new, heightened emphasis on national security, which resulted in policymakers swiftly getting new laws and regulations that directly affected national security passed (Roos, 2020). …show more content…
Just a little over a month after the 9/11 attacks, the USA Patriot Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by then-President George W. Bush. This law allowed law enforcement and other intelligence agencies to observe the emails and phone calls of American citizens without needing a warrant (Corbett et al., 2014). Law enforcement and intelligence agencies have played a significant role in thwarting terrorist attacks since 9/11, having been directly responsible for 94% of those successful interventions as of 2017. Many of these interventions have been accredited to the provisions of the Patriot Act, which help law enforcement identify leads and prevent terrorist activities through increased surveillance, thereby enhancing national security. Furthermore, the cooperation and sharing of information established after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have strengthened the effectiveness of law enforcement and intelligence agencies in combating