# State of Silence: The Espionage ACT and the Rise of America's Secrecy Regime - Hardcover

by **Sam Lebovic** (Author)

**An "essential guide" (Beverly Gage, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of _G-Man_) to how the Espionage Act gave rise to a vast American security state that keeps citizens in the dark**

In _State of Silence_, political historian Sam Lebovic uncovers the troubling history of the Espionage Act. First passed in 1917, it was initially used to punish critics of World War I. Yet as Americans began to balk at the act's restrictions on political dissidents and the press, the government turned its focus toward keeping its secrets under wraps. The resulting system for classifying information is absurdly cautious, staggeringly costly, and shrouded in secrecy, preventing ordinary Americans from learning what their country is doing in their name, both at home and abroad.

Shedding new light on the bloated governmental security apparatus that's weighing our democracy down, _State of Silence_ offers the definitive history of America's turn toward secrecy--and its staggering human costs.

### Author Biography

**Sam Lebovic** is a professor in the department of history and art history at George Mason University. He is the author of the award-winning _Free Speech and Unfree News_ and _A Righteous Smokescreen._ His work has appeared in the _Los Angeles Review of Books_, _Boston Globe_, _Washington Post_, and more. He lives in Washington, DC. 

**Number of Pages:** 464

**Dimensions:** 1.3 x 9.49 x 6.33 IN

**Publication Date:** November 21, 2023

## Details

- **Price:** 32.5 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 32.50 USD | In stock |

## Images

- State of Silence: The Espionage ACT and the Rise of America's Secrecy Regime - Hardcover

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