Do you have any idea where it could be leading? I've been thinking about it on and off for the past few days but nothing comes to mind, I don't have enough context to form any opinion.

I'd sure love to hear what Schneier thinks about it.

I don't know where it's leading, or if it's even leading anywhere. For some people, gaining power over others is an end unto itself, not a means leading to some other end.

I meant, what 'reasonable' thing will our gvernment ask for after being rebuked for this outrageous request

Anchoring involves defining the value of something where it was previously undefined. What you describe is simply an extreme initial offer. You're right that it isn't necessarily sinister.

An extreme initial offer manipulates the "anchoring and adjustment heuristic" defined at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchoring

The Overton Window Concept is a potential anchoring case for this law: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window

One might even say collusion ;)