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Control of the Intelligence Agencies
Emerson, Thomas
Emerson, Thomas
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Abstract
The existence of modern intelligence agencies presents a critical dilemma for any democratic society. The term "intelligence agency," as used here, does not refer to ordinary police forces investigating traditional crime or administrative agencies seeking to enforce regulatory measures. Rather it designates agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the intelligence services of the armed forces, that seek to collect a broad range of information for use by the government, including information relating to the political opinions and activities of various targeted individuals and groups. The development of such agencies in the United States is, at least on the present scale, a relatively new phenomenon. Normal democratic controls designed to prevent abuses in the exercise of official authority have not caught up with this form of government activity.