In response to the September 11 terror attacks, the Patriot Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush to strengthen national security. The Patriot Act expanded the government’s ability to surveil citizens’ private information, such as phone conversations and emails, and even conduct warrantless searches of homes without notifying the target, in violation of the Fourth Amendment. This informative resource presents primary and secondary sources on the debate over the need for a delicate balance between national security and civil liberties from the passing of the Patriot Act in 2001 to the reauthorization of the Patriot Act in 2006.