Government and Privacy Should Greater Controls Be Imposed on the Gathering and Utilization of Information About U.S
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GOVERNMENT AND PRIVACY SHOULD GREATER CONTROLS BE IMPOSED ON THE GATHERING AND UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION ABOUT U.S. CITIZENS BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES? College Debate Series AMERICANENTERPRISE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH 1150 SEVENTEENTH STREET, N. W., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036 THE AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH, established in 1943, is a pub Iicly supported, nonpartisan research and educational organization. AE I studies and sponsors research on public policy issues of national and international significance. Its publications are made available to scholars, public officials, the press, the business community, and the public. The institute does not take positions on policy questions. Opinions expressed are those of the authors. Institute publications take three major forms: 1. LEGISLATIVE AND SPECIAL ANALYSES - balanced analyses of current legislative proposals and special policy issues prepared with the help of specialists from the academic world and the fields of law and government. 2. LONG-RANGE STUDIES - studies in depth of government programs and major national problems, written by independent scholars. 3. RATIONAL DEBATES AND SYMPOSIA - proceedings of debates, seminars, and conferences where eminent authorities with contrasting views discuss controversial issues. ADVISORY BOARD Paul W. McCracken, Chairman* Edmund Ezra Day University Professor of Business Administration University of Michigan Karl Brandt Loy W. Henderson Professor of Economic Policy (Emeritus) Professor of Foreign Relations Stanford University American University R.H. Coase George Lenczowski Professor of Economics Professor of Political Science University of Chicago University of California, Berkeley Milton Friedman Felix Morley Paul S. Russell Distinguished Service Editor and Author Professor of Economics University of Chicago Joseph T. Sneed Dean, School of Law Gottfried Haberler Duke University Resident Scholar American Enterprise Institute for George E. Taylor Public Policy Research Professor of Far Eastern History C. Lowell Harriss and Politics Professor of .Economics Far Eastern & Russian Institute Columbia University University of Washington OFFICERS Chairman Carl N. Jacobs Vice Chairmen Henry T. Bodman H. C. Lumb Herman J. Schmidt President Treasurer William J. Baroody William G. McClintock SENIOR STAFF Thomas F. Johnson Sam S. Crutchfield Anne Brunsdale Director of Research Assistant to the President Director of Publications Joseph G. Butts Waldo H. Dubberstein Morton Blackwell Director of Legislative Analysis Director of International Director of Computer Studies Operations *On leave for governmentservice November 10, 1971 GOVERNMENT AND PRIVACY: SHOULD GREATER CONTROLS BE IMPOSED ON THE GATHERING AND UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION ABOUT U.S. CITIZENS BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES? College Debate Topic TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE-------------------------------------------------------------- iv CHAPTER !--GOVERNMENT INFORMATION GATHERING AND THE CITIZEN---------- 1 I. Introduction----------------------------------------------- 1 II. The Rationale of Government Information Gathering About Citizens---------------------------------------------- 1 III. Nature and Extent of Government Information About Individuals------------------------------------------- 2 A. Types of Information-------------------------------- 2 B. Extent of the Federal Information System------------ 3 IV. Significant Government Information Systems on Individuals-- 4 V. The Computer and Confidentiality--------------------------- 6 VI. Federal Restrictions on Information Sharing---------------- 6 VII. Information Sharing Among Government Agencies-------------- 7 VIII. Conclusion------------------------------------------------- 9 NOTES TO CHAPTER 1----------------------------------------- 10 CHAPTER 2--DEFINITION OF TERMS--------------------------------------- 13 I. Introduction----------------------------------------------- 13 II. Specific Terms--------------------------------------------- 13 A. "Greater Controls"---------------------------------- 13 B. "The Gathering and Utilization of Information"------ 14 C. "Should"-------------------------------------------- 15 D. "Be Imposed Upon"----------------------------------- 15 E. "United States Citizens"---------------------------- 16 F. "About"--------------------------------------------- 17 G. "By Government Agencies"---------------------------- 1 8 -i- III. Conclusion---------·-----------·------------------------------ 21 NOTES TO CHAPTER 2------------------------------------------ 22 CHAPTER 3--THE DOSSIER AND THE CITIZEN-------------------------------- 24 I. Introduction------------------------------------------------ 24 II. The Threat to Privacy------------------------------------�-- 24 A. Government's Need for Information----------------------- 24 B. The Concept of Privacy---------------------------------- 25 C. Source of the Problem--The Information Systems---------- 26 III. Confidentiality and the Information Systems----------------- 28 IV. The Threat to the Individual-------------------------------- 30 A. Information May Be Improperly Gathered and Used--------- 30 B. Potential Harms----------------------------------------- 32 V. Conclusion-------------------------------------------------- 34 NOTES TO CHAPTER 3------------------------------------------ 35 CHAPTER 4--METHODS OF INFORMATION GATHERING AND SOME QUESTIONS THESE METHODS RAISE--------------------------------------- 37 I. Introduction------------------------------------------------ 37 II. Physical Surveillance--------------------------------------- 37 A. The Legal Background------------------------------------ 37 B. Recent Electronic Eavesdropping Activity---------------- 39 C. Arguments for Further Regulation of Electronic Eaves- dropping------------------------------------------- 40 D. Arguments Against Further Limitations On Eavesdropping Authority------------------------------------------ 41 E. Mail Cover and the Use of Computers to Assist in Surveillance--------------------------------------- 44 III. Other Information Gathering Methods That Raise Questions of Privacy--------------------------------------------- 46 A. P.ersonality. Testing------------------------------------- 47 B. The Polygraph------------------------------------------- 49 IV. Recent Examples of Controversial Investigations By Government--------------------------------------------- SO -ii- A. Congressional Investigations---------------------------- 50 B. Welfare Investigations---------------------------------- 52 c. Security Investigations--------------------------------- 54 v. The Controversy Over Proposals To Make Government Information Gathering More Efficient------------------- 55 VI. The Controversy Over Greater Access To Government-held Information-------------------------------------------- 57 NOTES TO CHAPTER 4------------------------------------------ 59 CHAPTER 5--THE PLAN-------------------------------------------------- 66 I. Introduction------------------------------------------------ 66 II. Administration: A Necessary Evil---------------------------- 66 A. Necessity Thereof--------------------------------------- 66 B. Selection------------------------------------------------67 C. Powers and Criteria--------------------------------------70 D. Judicial Review------------------------------------------71 III. Data Banks---------------------------------------------------73 A. Observations---------------------------------------------73 B. Goals----------------------------------------------------73 C. Plans and Needs------------------------------------------74 D. Disadvantages--------------------------------------------78 E. Conclusion-----------------------------------------------83 IV. Welfare Cases------------------------------------------------83 V. The Jury System and the Courts-------------------------------86 VI. Legalization and Counter Plans-------------------------------87 VII. Conclusion---------------------------------------------------90 NOTES TO CHAPTER 5-------------------------------------------91 Selected Bibliography-------------------------------------------------95 -iii- PREFACE This Special Analysis is concerned exclusively with the issues presented by the 1971-72 intercollegiate debate proposition: "Resolved: That Greater Controls Should Be Imposed On the Gathering and Utilization of Information About United States Citizens By Government Agencies." It is published by the American Enterprise Institute in response to many requests from college debaters for background materials and references on the subject of the debate proposition. It was prepared by Professor John A. Lynch, Director of Debate at St. Anselm's College, Manchester, New Hampshire; and Professor James J. Unger, Director of Debate at George town University, Washington, D.C. Both authors come to the project with extensive backgrounds as intercollegiate debaters and debate coaches. The authors wish to stress at the outset that they are not experts in the subject matter of the resolution. They have, however, tried to assemble, organize, and present authoritative material in such a way as to assist debaters seeking to delineate and explore the central issues raised by the national debate proposition. This analysis is not intended to provide a complete review or an end to the debater's research, but is designed rather to serve as a guide to the start of research and a stimulus to its continuation. To this end a bibliography has been included listing many more references than those quoted