The National Security Enterprise: Navigating the Labyrinth

by Roger Z. George (Editor), Harvey Rishikof (Editor), Brent Scowcroft (Foreword)

Recent breakdowns in American national security have exposed the weaknesses of the nation's vast overlapping security and foreign policy bureaucracy and the often dysfunctional interagency process. In the literature of national security studies, however, surprisingly little attention is given to the specific dynamics or underlying organizational cultures that often drive the bureaucratic politics of U.S. security policy.

The National Security Enterprise offers a broad overview and analysis of the many government agencies involved in national security issues, the interagency process, Congressional checks and balances, and the influence of private sector organizations. The chapters cover the National Security Council, the Departments of Defense and State, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of Management and Budget. The book also focuses on the roles of Congress, the Supreme Court, and outside players in the national security process like the media, think tanks, and lobbyists. Each chapter details the organizational culture and personality of these institutions so that readers can better understand the mindsets that drive these organizations and their roles in the policy process.

Many of the contributors to this volume are long-time practitioners who have spent most of their careers working for these organizations. As such, they offer unique insights into how diplomats, military officers, civilian analysts, spies, and law enforcement officials are distinct breeds of policymakers and political actors. To illustrate how different agencies can behave in the face of a common challenge, contributors reflect in detail on their respective agency's behavior during the Iraq War.

This impressive volume is suitable for academic studies at both the undergraduate and graduate level; ideal for U.S. government, military, and national security training programs; and useful for practitioners and specialists in national security studies.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Grad School, Crime, International Relations, Military Fiction, Philosophy

320 pages, Paperback

First published December 14, 2010

Reviews

[Max G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t read the whole thing but most of it. It’s the type of book where the most helpful thing is to skim through and find the chapters that are interesting to you. Each chapter is an essay on a specific agency or stakeholder in the national security system of the US.

I learned that there are entities that I had never heard of but that apparently play hugely important roles, for example the OMB!

Obviously quite a niche book but recommended if this area interests you.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great primer on our National Security Enterprise. A good history of our NSE bureaucracies and political entities. The authors offer some solutions offered for improvement with a healthy dose of skepticism. "Creating new institutions and navigating a new labyrinth of power is fraught with risk and is not for the fainthearted or for those with wobbly integrity."

[Simon Grimm · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a series of essays by different authors on different parts of the US natsec establishment. Worth reading if one works in US policy, though some of the essays are too general to be useful.

[David Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the most comprehensive overviews I've read about the large and complex U.S. national security enterprise. The book provides background on the formal and informal actors/components that play a role in national security policy - includes information on their history, organizational structures, cultures, and challenges. For those that already study U.S. defense, military, intelligence, or diplomacy policy - the sections on the role of the Homeland Security, the Supreme Court, Think Tanks, Lobbyists, and the Media provide a broader perspective on the diverse actors involved in national security policy.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for anyone working in or interested in working in the National Security Enterprise.

[Brian W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book does a great job explaining the role, history of the NSE from a holistic sense and articulates the functions and cultures of the major agencies and institutions that contributes to the NSE. Well worth the read for anyone dealing with the NSE.

[Eric Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book describes the relationship of the various national security organizations for the US Government. It's almost exhaustive and gets kind of slow (one reason why I gave it four stars) and monotonous to read. It's fact-filled and surprised me with some of the organizations that encompass the National Security machine that the US is. For example, the Supreme Court has a role in it and I thought that was interesting to read.