Spies. War.

Espionage. Covert Action.

Terrorism. Top Secret Information.

Intriguing words for sure, but how much do you really understand about them, and should you even care? Words like these are part of a concept known as national security, and in the name of national security the government wields extraordinary powers to protect us from various types of insidious threats. But the concept of national security has also generated some of the most secretive and invasive powers in the U.

S. government's arsenal, such as the power to detain citizens indefinitely without trial, to invade foreign countries, to conduct searches without warrants, to collect data on millions of Americans who have been accused of no wrong, to forcibly remove people of certain ethnicities from their homes, and to kidnap and torture people.

In our constitutional system, how much visibility should we have into the government's use of these powers? Should we be paying more attention to this topic, or should we be content to trust our politicians with these awesome powers? To begin to answer those questions, you first must be an informed citizen, and that's what this book is designed to do. It covers a broad array of topics but is written for the layperson, not the constitutional scholar.

Be prepared for a riveting -- yet highly educational -- journey, and don't forget Thomas Jefferson's wise observation: "Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government. ".