A National Security Staff for the 21st Century

Our legacy 1947/1989 national security system is unsuited for the dynamic and complex global security environment that has developed since the end of the Cold War. Over time, the National Security Council has evolved from the very limited advisory group initially imagined by President Truman to a vast network of interagency groups developed since 1989 that view themselves as deeply involved in integrating policy development, crisis management and staffing the President. However, the National Security Staff (NSS) and the national security system are relics of the industrial age?vertical stovepipes?in an age that demands management of the national security system at the strategic level. What is required is a true national security strategy based on ends, ways and means, alignment of resources with integrated national security missions, assessment and accountability as management functions that should be performed by a properly resourced NSS unburdened from the urgency of the 24/7 news cycle. The President?s National Security Strategy of May 2010 calls for reform in many of these areas. Section 1072 of the 2012 Defense Authorization Act calls upon the President to outline the changes and resources needed in both the executive and congress to implement his national security strategy. The President?s response to this legislative mandate can and should be the first step in a strategic partnership for transforming our national security system in both the executive and the congress to meet and anticipate the challenges and opportunities for ensuring our security and well-being.