This course will focus on the efforts to protect the national security of the United States, and to counter the threat of terrorism facing the nation - both at home and abroad. Through this course, students will focus on a number of topics, notably the surveillance authorities of the government, the methods in which the government may obtain information in counterterrorism cases, and the various terrorist threats facing the nation today. Students will also learn about the legality of the government’s detention, interrogation, prosecutorial, and targeted killing policies that have evolved since September 11, 2001, all while contemplating the ramifications of those policies on personal privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties. Finally, students will consider the roles of the federal branches of government in determining counterterrorism law and policy, as well as the roles of state and local law enforcement, with a glimpse into their respective areas of responsibility.