This historical wisdom is very interesting. I'd be happy to hear more about the arguments in favor of it. But also, keep in mind there is no precedent for one

This historical wisdom is very interesting. I'd be happy to hear more about the arguments in favor of it. But also, keep in mind there is no precedent for one factor that is perhaps critical to today's and tomorrow's power dynamics: information technology. The intelligence community today has radically expanded its powers, for better and for worse, because of its ability to monitor and consider (i.e. A.I.) so much more. This is actually one of the most concerning factors for me, because historically we know humans can be absolutely brutal to each other, and perhaps inevitably so, given bad contexts. Hence, the 4th Amendment to the Constitution: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." (Just imagine replacing the word "papers" for "data".) I would be pleased to see better oversight by Congress of the intelligence community, just as the opposite is also happening.