History glossary
Patriot Act
the 2001 U.S. law that expanded investigative, surveillance, and counterterrorism powers after 9/11.
- Category
- Law
- Region
- United States
- Date range
- from 2001
What it means
The Patriot Act was a U.S. law passed in October 2001 after the September 11 attacks. It expanded federal powers for counterterrorism investigations, information sharing, surveillance, financial tracking, and national security investigations, while provoking major civil liberties debates.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The World After The Cold War
From the fall of the Soviet Union to the rise of China and global terrorism, this story traces the turbulent reshaping of the international order after 1991.
The United States After 9/11
After 9/11, the United States launched the War on Terror, invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, expanded surveillance and homeland security, and entered a long era of costly war and deep political division.
