National Security Strategy: A Flawed Guide to the Future, Political Science

Abstract

Abstract : The Goldwater-Nichols Defense Department Reorganization Act of 1986 requires the executive branch to periodically provide written documentation of the United States National Security Strategy (NSS). The George W. Bush administration released its first NSS in September 2002. The NSS starts with a letter from the President and then is organized around nine primary objectives. The effects of 9/11 and the emphasis on global terrorism are unmistakable. The talking heads in the media who focused, their critiques on the overt statement of a policy of preemption missed the forest for the trees. The Bush 43 NSS is an arrogant short-term military focused document that fails to provide a comprehensive strategic vision for applying all the elements of national power to protect and enhance our enduring national interests. This paper justifies that critique by a discussion of misalignment between NSS goals and national interests, flaws with specific NSS objectives, and the need for a greater economic emphasis. Integrated throughout the discussion are general and specific ways to correct our approach to world affairs.