Travel stories -- "What's the point of being a citizen?" -- Freedom of movement and the Constitution -- A brief history of the passport -- Origins : the extraordinary Mrs. Shipley -- Change : digitizing Mrs. Shipley -- Growth : Mrs. Shipley's ghost -- Civis Americanus sum -- What is to be done?
Summary
In tracing the history and scope of U.S. travel regulations, the author begins with the fascinating story of Mrs. Ruth Shipley, a federal employee who almost single-handedly controlled access to passports during the Cold War. The author questions how far national security policies should go and whether the government should be able to declare some individuals simply too dangerous to travel. An expert on constitutional law, the author argues that U.S. citizens’ freedom to leave the country and return is a fundamental right, protected by the Constitution
