The decision-making process for national security is a complex subject that involves the intersection of several factors to include the role of the President, the National Security Council, U.S. government departments and agencies with key roles and functions, and Congress, among others. Key to understanding how national security decisions are evaluated, decided, and ultimately approved is the legal and policy foundation that impacts how military and intelligence operations are carried out abroad, how domestic intelligence and law enforcement works within the United States, and where these international and domestic authorities overlap or even come into conflict depending on the national security issue at stake. Understanding the relationships between these different elements is critical for those interested in this career field.
Assignments include two policy memos, five evaluations of assigned readings, and participation in a panel discussion with other students on select national security laws and authorities.
