The U.S. government’s response to the airline terrorism of September 11 transformed an air-security system in need of some minor improvements into a drastically more expensive and less efficient system. By overreacting to the terrorism threat, the federal government actually has added to the damage, handing those who hate American an even greater victory.

Roger Roots is a graduate student in the Department of Sociology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Airport SecurityBureaucracy and GovernmentDefense and Foreign PolicyEconomyGovernment and PoliticsGovernment PowerLaw and LibertyTerrorism and Homeland SecurityTransportation