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A Guide to the National Security Council

A Guide to the National Security CouncilWhat is the National Security Council?

The National Security Council is a Federal agency that operates within the United States of America that is responsible for considering national security and foreign policy matters. The National Security Council in the United States is foundational part of the White House and is run by senior national security advisors, cabinet officials and the president of the United States.

Since the inception of the National Security Council, the primary function of the department has been to advise and assist the President of the United States on matters of national security as well as general foreign policy issues. Furthermore, the National Security Council also serves as the President’s principal arm for coordinating such policies among various government agencies.

National Security Council Quick Facts:

The following details outline the administration of the National Security Council:

The National Security Council was created in 1947 through the passing of the National Security Act

The headquarters of the National Security Council are located in Washington D.C.; the Executive Office of the President of the United States is the parent agency to the National Security Council.

The head of the National Security Council is currently United States President Barack Obama; in addition to the President, agency executives also include: the Vice President of the United States, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense and the National Security Advisor.

History of the National Security Council:

The National Security Council, as stated above, was created in 1947 by the National Security Act. The National Security Act was established because policymakers believed that the diplomacy of the State Department was no longer powerful enough to contain the emerging USSR. The intent of this department was to ensure adequate coordination and concurrence between the branches of the United States military and other instruments of national security policy, such as the Central Intelligence Agency, which was also created in the National Security Act.

On May 26, 2009, President Barack Obama merged the White House Staff supporting the Homeland Security Council and the National Security Council into one all-encompassing agency known as the National Security Staff Department. That being said, the Homeland Security Council and the National Security Council continue to exist through statute as bodies supporting the President.

Membership of the National Security Council:

The National Security Council is head by the President of the United States of America. Regular attendees of the council, both in a statutory and non-statutory fashion include: the Vice president of the United States, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of the State, the Secretary of Defense, as well as the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff holds the statutory military position of advisory to the Council, while the Director of National Intelligence is the statutory intelligence advisor. Additionally, the Director of National Drug Control Policy is the statutory drug control policy advisor of the National Security Council.

Government Agency of the Executive Branch

Government agencies are defined as organizations, councils, and offices operating under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government of the United States of America; each federal agency retains specific administrative jurisdiction over specific facets latent within the operations of the United States Government.

The National Security Council functions as a government agency under the Executive Branch of the United States government, which is comprised of 3 total branches; in addition to the Executive branch – which is responsible for the regulation and enforcement of operational legislation existing within the United States of America – there also exists the Legislative and Judicial Branches.