On September 11, 2001, the United States was shaken by the fall of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and thousands of deaths. The very real dangers of terrorism were brought home perfectly that day. The government had to find out why this atrocity had happened and, more importantly, it had to prevent it from happening again. But how could the United States stop an attack it never saw coming? Deciding that the best course of action was to catch terrorists before they could do more harm, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing the Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Disrupt Terrorism Act of 2001, or USA PATRIOT Act, was passed. The law was approved. passed the House of Representatives and the Senate with very little opposition and was signed into law by President George W. Bush. This new law significantly reduced restrictions on the judiciary and gave more control to judicial authorities. Since its passage, the Patriot Act has been the subject of intense scrutiny and is considered one of the most controversial laws passed under the United States government. Most opponents have criticized the law, saying it is unconstitutional and infringes on citizens' rights. Accusations of Patriot Act violations against the First and Four Amendments continue, despite several amendments. Opponents have argued that the law opens the door to potential abuse of government power, while its supporters have argued that it is not only constitutional but necessary, given the context of terror in today's society. Although some argue that the USA PATRIOT Act violates the constitutionally guaranteed rights of American citizens and results in potential abuses of power, the law is clearly a conservative interpretation...... middle of paper ...... Liberty Speech and Press: Exceptions to the First Amendment. New York: Nova Science, 2008. Print. Etzioni, Amitai. How patriotic is the Patriot Act? : Freedom versus Security in the Age of Terrorism. London: Routledge, 2007. Print. Ewing, Alphonse B. and Charles Doyle. The USA Patriot Act reader. New York: Novinka, 2005. Print. Hall, Kermit, James W. Ely, and Joel B. Grossman. The Oxford Guide to the United States Supreme Court. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. Print. Hudson, David L. “Libraries and First Amendment Speech – Topic.” First Amendment Center. Internet. April 25, 2011. .Hudson, David L. The Bill of Rights: The First Ten Amendments to the Constitution. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2002. Print. Scheppler, Bill. The USA Patriot Act: anti-terrorism legislation in response to September 11. New York: Rosen Pub., 2006. Print.