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Politics & Government

When Legislative Oversight Committees Successfully Constrain Intelligence Agencies

Quick fact

In 1975, the Church Committee, a US Senate special committee, uncovered widespread abuses by the FBI and CIA, including surveillance of American citizens and assassination plots. Its recommendations led directly to the creation of the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which imposed new legal limits on domestic surveillance.

Why this is interesting

You've probably seen movies where intelligence agencies operate above the law. But did you know that a small group of politicians can actually curb the power of the CIA and FBI—using nothing more than paper, hearings, and the power of the purse?