Deck 2: The History of Intelligence in the United States

Question 1

Which of the following was NOT created by the National Security Act?

A) CIA
B) Coordinator of Information
C) National Security Council
D) A and C

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which government committee(s) concluded that intelligence agencies had overstepped their legal boundaries by disregarding Americans' Constitutional rights?

A) Pike Committee
B) Church Committee
C) Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Committee
D) Both A and B

Answer 2

D

Question 3

What was the purpose of the Black Chamber?

A) To monitor Soviet communications until 1980
B) To report on British troop movements, carry out various covert activities, and conduct sensitive negotiations with foreign governments
C) To provide information about the South during the Civil War
D) To decrypt the message traffic of foreign governments

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between the history of intelligence in the United States and present-day intelligence?

A) The U.S. intelligence infrastructure today is a product of its history
B) The U.S. intelligence infrastructure is far too advanced today to rely on any lesson learned in the past
C) The U.S. intelligence infrastructure is too young to gauge whether or not any lessons were learned from its history
D) The U.S. intelligence infrastructure today is not a product of its own history but a product of British history

Question 5

What was the purpose of COINTELPRO?

A) Investigated suspected domestic dissidents and subversives, including members of the Communist Party, Students for a Democratic Society, the Black Panther Party and Women Strike for Peace
B) Identified government scientists who had dispersed critical information related to the development of the atomic bomb
C) Provided judicial oversight over the government's surveillance of foreign individuals in the United States
D) Established laws relating to intelligence collection and covert activities.

Question 6

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) (1978) wrote into law requirements for obtaining all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Electronic Surveillance
B) Physical Searches
C) Business Records
D) All of the above were covered by FISA

Question 7

According to the National Security Act of 1947, the President does not have an obligation to keep congressional intelligence committees fully and currently informed of all covert actions.

Question 8

The Black Dispatches were critical in allowing America to win World War II.

Question 9

All U.S. Presidents have enjoyed cordial and close relationships with the IC.

Question 10

Which entities were created by the National Security Act of 1947? What restrictions did the act place on the intelligence agency it created and why?

Question 11

What were the findings of the Church Committee? What piece of legislation was prompted by these findings?

Question 12

What were the findings of the 9/11 Commission? What did it recommend the government do to prevent future terrorist attacks?

Question 13

Why was the position of the Director of National Intelligence created?

Question 14

Name two reasons the US did not traditionally build and maintain an intelligence apparatus, except in times of crisis, up until after War World II period.

Question 15

The Church and Pike Committees introduced an era of increased Congressional scrutiny over intelligence activities. Since that time, Congressional oversight of the intelligence community has spurred controversy. Some argue that such supervision protects citizens' Constitutional rights while others believe it unnecessarily hinders the IC's attempts to collect critical intelligence. Should constitutional protections limit the actions of the intelligence community, or should agencies have the freedom to infringe upon people's civil liberties to ensure safety?

Question 16

Given what you know about the relationship between the United States and the mujahedeen during the Cold War, do you believe Osama bin Laden's reasons for declaring holy war against the U.S. were justified? Why or why not?

Question 17

Has the United States' staunch relationship with Israel helped or hurt our national security? Why or why not? Consider past and current events.

Question 18

The text states that the terrorist threat of 9/11 differed from any previous enemies the United States faced. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.

Question 19

Do you consider the Islamic State to be a terrorist group or a quasi-state that uses terrorism as a tactic? Justify your answer.

Question 20

In recent years, the United States military has formed Cyber Command and the U.S. Space Force. Which area-cyber space or outer space-will be more critical to American national security in the next five years? Justify your answer.