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Preface A considerable amount has been written about the American government’s response to the 9/11 terror attacks. It was one of those moments in history when people remember where they were at the time. It has shaped, and will continue to shape, national security policy for years to come. I have been studying the government reaction to 9/11 now for 17 years—primarily as a judicial politics scholar who also has an interest in the presidency. However, as time has passed, it has become clearer to me that terrorism policy is really the result of all three branches of government working together. Much of the literature in this area ignores or downplays the role of Congress and conse- quently underestimates an important actor in the process. I am not the fi rst scholar to conceptualize what we are in as a “Long War,” but I agree with that premise and think that recognition is an important step in making terrorism policy. Each chapter in this book begins with a histori- cal examination of policy prior to 9/11. This is important because political actors after 9/11 were not writing on a blank slate, but rather simply continu- ing to develop and change policy as they had done before the attacks. To be sure, 9/11 did mark some signifi cant shifts in policy making in some areas but even here, there was a history, a history in which Congress played an important role. If nothing else, I hope this book serves as a reminder that the U.S. Congress—contrary to presidential power narratives—will play an impor- tant role in developing terrorism policy as the years pass in the Long War. Only in this way can we develop policies that promote national security, while also providing accountability and transparency, hallmarks of our republican form of government. A book-length project is always a marathon rather than a sprint, and it is never accomplished alone. I would like to thank Ball State University and the Department of Political Science for supporting a well-timed sabbatical that allowed for the completion of this book in a timely fashion. I would also like