Attempts to Establish a National Identification System

Although some countries have national identity cards, there has been an extensive debate about their use here in the United States. According to Eliot (2009), the first driver’s license went into effect in New York in 1910 (p. 11). Other states followed suit. The Social Security Act passed in the 1930's required all citizens to have a unique nine digit number in order to receive social security benefits. (SocialSecurity.gov, para 1) Today, it is common knowledge that all employers are required to request and verify a social security number at the start of employment.

According to Rotenberg, federal discussions related to the national ID card took place

several times before the attempt in 2005. Citing government documents, Rotenberg (2008) claims:

In 1971, the Social Security Administration task force on the

Social Security Number declined to transform the number

into an ID card. The Health, Education and Welfare Secretary’s

Advisory Committee on Automated Personal Data Systems in

1973 again rejected the creation of a national identifier.... (p.1)

The same source point out two additional study commissions and an attorney general also rejected attempts to “create a national identity system”. (P 2) Then in 1993 then President Clinton advocated a “Health Security Card”; but, the effort stopped. (Rotenberg, 2008, p.2) These examples make clear the federal government had made attempts to secure a national id card long before the terrorist attack of 9/11.

The Real Identity Act of 2005

From the preceding discussion, it is clear that in addition to the sec...

... middle of paper ...

...rating quantitative and qualitative methods in research (pp. 3-17). Lanham, MD: University Press of America.

technovelgy. (2011). Characteristics of successful biometric identification methods. Retrieved from http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Technology-Article.asp?ArtNum=11

The Sun Times, (2011, April, 14). More than 1,700 fake driver’s licenses seized at O’Hare Airport. The Sun Times Retrieved from http://www.suntimes.com/news/crime/4830764-418/story.html

U.S. Congress. (2005, 5 5). On agreeing to the conference report. Wahington, D.C.: U.S. Congress.

U.S. vs. Pool, 09-10303 (UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT 9 10, 2010).

Wambaugh, J. (1989). The Blooding. In J. Wambaugh, The Blooding (p. 202). New York: Perigord Press Book.

Yin, R. K. (2009) Case study research: design and methods. Thousand Oaks, Califorina: SAGE Publications,Inc.