▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁dram atic , ▁fundamental ▁shift ▁in ▁American ▁society ▁generally , ▁which ▁prof ound ly ▁affected ▁public ▁political ▁behavior . ▁Elect ed ▁officials ▁were ▁comp elled ▁to ▁confront ▁new ▁constitu ents ▁with ▁new ▁att itudes . ▁In ▁particular , ▁for ▁the ▁Central ▁Int elligence ▁Agency , ▁the ▁soci etal ▁change ▁alter ed ▁not ions ▁of ▁what ▁was ▁considered ▁' polit ically ▁acceptable ▁conduct '. ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁cold ▁war ▁period , ▁the ▁Agency ▁had ▁been ▁somewhat ▁ex empt ▁from ▁normal ▁standards ▁of ▁account ability , ▁so ▁that ▁it ▁could ▁employ ▁its ▁special ▁esp ion age ▁and ▁cover t ▁capac ities ▁against ▁what ▁was ▁understood ▁as ▁an ▁am oral ▁commun ist ▁enemy . ▁At ▁times ▁during ▁this ▁period , ▁the ▁C IA ▁operated ▁under ▁a ▁clo ak ▁of ▁secre cy , ▁where ▁it ▁met ▁the ▁ide ological ▁fo e ▁in ▁a ▁gray - and - black ▁world . ▁In ▁that ▁era , ▁normal ▁Cong r essional ▁o vers ight ▁was ▁inform ally ▁modified ▁to ▁block ▁unw anted ▁public ▁scr ut iny , ▁which ▁might ▁be ▁useful ▁to ▁the ▁enemy . M arch etti ▁and ▁Mark s ▁( 1 9 7 4 , ▁ 1 9 8 0 ) ▁pp . ▁ 9 0 – 9 2 . ▁ ▁An ▁immediate ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁sur ge ▁in ▁Cong r essional ▁o vers ight ▁activity ▁may ▁be ▁s our ced ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁people ' s ▁loss ▁of ▁confidence ▁in