One Nation Under Siege: Congress, Terrorism, and the Fate of American Democracy

Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, America’s political institutions underwent radical changes as they adapted to comprehensive security reforms. While the media exhaustively covered new security protocols in the executive office, little attention was paid to other federal agencies and branches that overhauled their systems to accommodate heightened security requirements. As a congressional fellow living in Washington, D.C., Jocelyn Jones Evans was an eyewitness to the institutional culture of Capitol Hill before and after the 9/11 terrorist attacks as well as during the subsequent anthrax scare. In One Nation Under Siege: Congress, Terrorism, and the Fate of American Democracy, Evans uses her personal experiences as the foundation for a richly researched analysis of how Congress changed as an institution and a national symbol in the wake of 9/11. Evans reveals not only physical transformations but also internal policy shifts that threaten democracy by limiting citizens’ access to their elected leaders. The only comprehensive study of the effects of terrorism on the nation’s capital, One Nation Under Siege provides a detailed investigation of how the nation’s intricate political system adapted in times of crisis. It covers an essential chapter in the social and political history of the United States.