Assassinations, Spying and The Constitution: ACLU President Susan Herman Talks Big Govt and Liberty

"All of our elected representatives have to hear from a broad cross section of liberals, libertarians, conservatives--people who just say, 'This is too much big government. We want our government back,'" says American Civil Liberties Union President Susan Herman, author of the new book "Taking Liberties: The War on Terror and the Erosion of American Democracy."

How much has the police state expanded since 9/11, and is there any way to stop it? Herman sat down with Reason.tv Editor-in-Chief Nick Gillespie to discuss the this and other questions surrounding the state of liberty in America. Herman notes that while there have been a few minor changes in policy, for the most part there's been a remarkable continuity between the Bush and Obama administrations in terms of their disregard for civil liberties. She makes the case that liberals must make alliances with libertarians and pro-liberty conservatives like Ron Paul and Gary Johnson if there's any hope of curbing the ever-expanding police state.

She also discusses the recent assassination of American citizen Anwar Al-Awlaki and the ACLU's role in representing Al-Awlaki's father in court.

Interview by Nick Gillespie. Edited by Zach Weissmueller.

Approximately 17 minutes.

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