Some policies may even have been counterproductive and helped terrorists recruit, these critics allege. Meanwhile, others say some extreme security measures were necessary to prevent another national trauma. These concerns sprung to the forefront of the campaign in 2015 and 2016 after a spate of terror attacks in the United States and Europe.
Upon taking office, the Obama administration suspended some of the most controversial national security policies implemented by the George W. Bush White House, like the CIA’s detention and interrogation programs, but it continued or expanded on others, like lethal drone strikes and bulk electronic surveillance. Likewise, the next administration will have to decide how much of this policy legacy it wants to embrace as it protects the country from the next generation of threats.
