What Is the National Security Council?

The National Security Council (NSC) has been in the news lately. The NSC always figures prominently whenever a national security crisis or issue rises because it is authorized to establish an all-of-government response.

National Security Gets a New Organization

The United States has been a nation for 250 years, making the NSC a relative newcomer to the host of government agencies established in the country’s history. Until the Korean War, most Cabinet-level agencies were simply brought into national security discussions. But in 1947, the NSC was established by congressional mandate in the National Security Act under President Harry Truman. Since then, the organization has been shaped by each president’s views on how to preserve the nation’s domestic and international security.

President George W. Bush’s White House provided a summary of the NSC history up to and including the Clinton administration:

“Under President [Dwight D.] Eisenhower, the National Security Council system evolved into the principal arm of the President in formulating and executing policy on military, international, and internal security affairs … Eisenhower embraced the NSC concept and created a structured system of integrated policy review. [He] had a penchant for careful staff work and believed that effective planning involved a creative process of discussion and debate among advisers compelled to work toward agreed recommendations.”

Eisenhower established the position of National Security Advisor (NSA), called, at the time, the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs. The NSC produced position papers that went through a planning process before being submitted to the statutory members of the NSC. Those members in the early 1950s were the president, vice president, secretaries of state and defense, and the Office of Defense Mobilization. Depending on the subject matter, other senior Cabinet members and subject matter experts were included, such as secretary of the Treasury, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the director of Central Intelligence.

President John F. Kennedy was skeptical of the rigid processes of the Eisenhower NSC and reduced the staff from 74 to 49. Kennedy selected McGeorge Bundy as the NSA and established the position and duties that remain to this day. Kennedy abandoned the long-range planning function of the NSC, instead relying on pickup teams who had one-on-one conversations with close confidantes to deal with contingencies. When Kennedy was assassinated, Vice President Lyndon Johnson was thrust into the position of the nation’s chief executive. He did little to change how the NSC functioned, preferring Kennedy’s model of relying on close colleagues.

Richard Nixon’s presidency brought Henry Kissinger to prominence as NSA and his unique management of the NSC. Kissinger increased the staff size from 12 to 34, and he was the first NSA to serve as the secretary of state. Kissinger continued to serve in the subsequent President Gerald Ford administration until replaced by Brent Scowcroft. President Jimmy Carter cut the standing NSC committee from eight to two and held only ten formal NSC meetings during his four years.

The Reporting Chain

Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton each crafted the NSC operation according to his own worldview and management style. For example, Reagan initially downgraded the NSA, with the position reporting to Presidential Counselor Edwin Meese. It was the first time the NSA did not have direct access to the president. After it was clear that a weakened NSA was not working, Reagan appointed a personal friend, William Clark, as his NSA, reporting directly to the president.

In each subsequent administration, George H.W. Bush, William Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden had some variation of the original NSC model with differing numbers of staff, working groups, and influence. President Donald Trump 47, on day one of his presidency, Jan. 20, 2025, issued National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-1, “Organization of the National Security Council and Subcommittees.”

Trump’s NSC coordinates with the Homeland Security Council, “with the distinct purpose of advising the President on matters pertaining to homeland security as a more prominent element in the NSC agency.” Nonetheless, the basic structure and purpose are similar to those of the NSC’s predecessors. Four months into the second term, the Trump administration has not sorted out the number of staff and how it will operate. However, one can anticipate that the NSC leadership will retain the responsibility of providing the president with the most current and accurate decision-ready information. For the second time in the NSC’s history, the NSA is also the secretary of state.

1. In 1947, the National Security Council was established by congressional mandate in the National Security Act under President Harry Truman.
2. In each subsequent administration, George H.W. Bush, William Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden had some variation of the original NSC model with differing numbers of staff, working groups, and influence.
3. For the second time in the NSC’s history, the National Security Advisor, Marco Rubio, is also the secretary of state.

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