Federal airline security oversight has a long track record of failure. Few people know that prior to Sept. 11, 2001, four different federal agencies — the FBI, CIA, FAA and INS — were entrusted to protect commercial airlines. They clearly did not do their jobs. Why, then, has the federal government further nationalized the process?

After the 2001 terrorist attacks, Congress rushed to create a new agency to protect America’s planes, trains and trucks. The Transportation Security Administration enabled the federal government to control the screening of passengers and baggage at all but five of the 429 U.S. commercial airports. Eleven years and billions of dollars later, the TSA has mastered the art of the grope but falls short on increasing security.