I'm going to get flamed, but I think that "tightening" the border is legit. I know of few international borders (other than Schengen) where you can pass with just a smile and no document or nationality check. I don't support harassment at the border, but there is no "right" to travel between sovereign countries without presenting a citizenship document.

I think the interior border checks and RealID is nonsense, though. But the Passport Card and WHTI thing are legit. (The name "WHTI" is a lie and a disgrace, it should be called something that doesn't imply that that half the world was for it-- like USWHTI.)