ABSTRACT
The most famous of all the post-WWII Supreme Court cases involving the Smith Act was Dennis. The major decision involving the Smith Act was the 1956 case Pennsylvania versus Nelson. Steve Nelson was convicted under Pennsylvania's Sedition Act, part of which required members of the Communist Party to be denied jobs. Despite the fact that the Espionage Act was still on the books, although watered down by court decisions, no legislation could prepare for the years of turmoil that started in the 1990s. Many comparisons can be made between the Acts and the Patriot Act. Both dealt with the country in a time of fear and paranoia. As with the Acts, many felt the Patriot Act trampled on civil liberties. Some would argue that the Patriot Act in the aftermath of 9/11 was doing the exact same thing by overly intruding into the private lives of American citizens.
