Jeffrey Rosen

The “Effective Death Penalty and Public Safety Act of 1996” [also known as the “Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996”] poses a threat to civil liberties, argues Jeffrey Rosen in the following viewpoint. He asserts that the bill endangers civil liberties by weakening habeas corpus laws and including provisions that make it easier for the government to deport immigrants. In addition, Rosen maintains that the bill will have little impact on fighting terrorism. Rosen is the legal affairs editor for the New Republic and an associate professor of law at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Rosen, what alliance did the Justice Department blame for the terrorism bill?
2. Why will the changes in habeas corpus fail...