NSA: National Security vs. Individual Rights

This paper draws on liberal communitarianism to analyze two National Security Agency programs: the bulk phone records collection program and PRISM. Specifically, the paper addresses the following questions: Does the threat to national security justify such programs? Can this threat be addressed through standard criminal procedures favored by civil libertarians? Are the programs effective? To what extent do they violate the privacy of American citizens? What are the rights of non-Americans with respect to the programs? Are the programs in line with the Constitution and the various laws that govern them? Is there sufficient accountability and oversight of these programs?