Whether Snowden receives a pardon or not, it's worth reviewing the following two questions: 1) Would the intelligence community have policed itself otherwise?

Whether Snowden receives a pardon or not, it's worth reviewing the following two questions: 1) Would the intelligence community have policed itself otherwise? Probably not, intel agencies prefer gathering more data over less. 2) Would Congress have changed its oversight posture otherwise? Probably not, as intel agencies do as much as possible to withold info from oversight committees, including lying; and the public would have remained in the dark, so no pressure from that quarter.