Intro
From 2010-11, a research team directed by Prof. [Christian Davenport] downloaded, coded and placed all relevant material regarding citizen resolutions against the Patriot Act into a database. This was done after Professors Ion Vasi and David Strang refused to share their data stating that they did not "feel comfortable doing such a thing". I told Prof. Vasi that I would be finished in a few months but he reiterated his discomfort. My team thus pushed forward.
The projects were and are clearly motivated by different interests. Essentially, Vasi and Strang's published research was exclusively interested in identifying whether or not an ordinance/resolution had been undertaken at a specific time and in a specific location. Our effort differed in numerous respects from this effort. Similar to Vasi and Strang, we coded the year that the resolution was passed as well as at what jurisdiction the ordinance/resolution was created (i.e., neighborhood, city, town or borough).
Furthe, moving beyond earlier work, we also identified which specific documents were being objected to in addition to the US Patriot Act (i.e., Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003, Various Executive Orders and/or Justice Department Directives, Homeland Security Act and HR 2417 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004); we note the specific objection (e.g., surveillance, detention, investigations, recording/filing, immigration, profiling, gag orders, creating vague laws, military tribunals, torture, limiting access to Freedom of Information Act documents, etc.) and the reasons for the objections (e.g., violations of amendments, other documents like the UN charter, adding too much power to the executive and not providing enough oversight/scrutiny); we also coded what specific suggestions were put forward to remedy any problems that exist: e.g., amending/repealing the Patriot Act, amending/repealing other documents, opposing future acts, better monitoring the Patriot Act and specific local level solutions).
Enjoy:
The projects were and are clearly motivated by different interests. Essentially, Vasi and Strang's published research was exclusively interested in identifying whether or not an ordinance/resolution had been undertaken at a specific time and in a specific location. Our effort differed in numerous respects from this effort. Similar to Vasi and Strang, we coded the year that the resolution was passed as well as at what jurisdiction the ordinance/resolution was created (i.e., neighborhood, city, town or borough).
Furthe, moving beyond earlier work, we also identified which specific documents were being objected to in addition to the US Patriot Act (i.e., Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003, Various Executive Orders and/or Justice Department Directives, Homeland Security Act and HR 2417 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004); we note the specific objection (e.g., surveillance, detention, investigations, recording/filing, immigration, profiling, gag orders, creating vague laws, military tribunals, torture, limiting access to Freedom of Information Act documents, etc.) and the reasons for the objections (e.g., violations of amendments, other documents like the UN charter, adding too much power to the executive and not providing enough oversight/scrutiny); we also coded what specific suggestions were put forward to remedy any problems that exist: e.g., amending/repealing the Patriot Act, amending/repealing other documents, opposing future acts, better monitoring the Patriot Act and specific local level solutions).
Enjoy:
- Resolutions: 2002-2007
- Single Sample resolution
- Codebook
- Data
- What is the Patriot Act and why might this be a problem for some? Click here.