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Just like Santa Claus, the U.S. government has its own version of "the naughty list."

The easiest way to find out is to take an airplane trip. It doesn't matter the destination, just try booking a flight and see what happens. The Transportation Security Administration that oversees air travel in the United States will automatically flag anyone with a name on the TSC's master list. As a result, when you arrive at the airport, someone will likely pull you aside for an extensive security check and possibly questioning before permitting you to board.

Being repeatedly stopped at an airport could also signal that you share the same name as someone on the watch list. This screening feature has botched many travel plans for regular citizens. Consider the example in 2004 when someone named John Lewis made the government watch list. After that, every John Lewis, including the well-known civil rights activist and Georgia representative of the same name, had trouble boarding a flight [source: Goo].

Another alternative is to check the public list of Specifically Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons that the U.S. Treasury publishes. These people are prevented from doing any financial business in the United States, including opening bank accounts or obtaining loans. Although this is a different list from the master that the TSC maintains, if your name matches one on that list, you'll probably want to have it removed.

4 pages of article:

http://people.howstuffworks.com/government-watch-list2.htm

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