How do the Alien and Sedition Acts impact our lives today?

Given that the Alien and Sedition Acts were repealed over
200 years ago, they do not affect our lives in any direct and tangible way.  However,
you can argue that their legacy does affect us today.

The
Alien and Sedition Acts were meant to suppress dissent against the government.  They
were used against people who disagreed with the Federalist Party, which was in power at
that time.  However, it did not keep those opponents out of power since they won the
1800 presidential election.  At that point, the laws were
repealed.

These acts loom large in our history, however. 
They are remembered as a very low point in our history, a time when a political party
tried to use the law to prevent opposition to the government.  Because these laws are
seen in such a bad light, they help to prevent such things from happening again.  In the
time since these acts were passed, very few laws have ever been passed that have done
anything similar.

By setting a bad example for us, the
Alien and Sedition Acts have helped us to make sure that we do not allow the government
to pass laws that make dissent illegal.  Thereby, they have impacted our lives today by
helping to keep our system of government free and democratic.