Is the US government terrorizing the public?

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Whenever it's time to renew counterterrorism legislation we hear government officials tell us that failure to renew the legislation puts the country at greater risk of terrorist attacks. In early 2009 when there was talk of prosecuting CIA agents who exceeded the OLC torture guidelines, some US officials (i.e. former CIA Director Hayden) told the public that such prosecutions were unfair and would distract the intelligence community from their job. Basically the message was forget the past or the country will be at higher risk of more terrorist attacks.

Is fearmongering the way representative democracy is supposed to work?