What is a US National Security Strategy?

General Reference (not clearly pro or con)

The US Department of State, in the Dec. 2002 issue of its electronic journal US Foreign Policy Agenda titled "U.S. National Security Strategy: A New Era," stated:

"Each administration is required by the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 to submit an annual report to Congress setting out the nation’s comprehensive strategic security objectives. The tradition began with President Harry S Truman in 1950 with NSC-68, a report that focused on the United States and the then-Soviet Union and calling for a doctrine of containment that dominated the ensuing Cold War. Each president since then has submitted a similar document to Congress in varying forms and with varying degrees of specificity."

Dec. 2002 - US Department of State

The United States Code, the codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the U.S., last updated in 2000, stipulates the conditions of the National Security Strategy under Title 50, Chapter 15, Subchapter I, § 404a of the "Annual National Security Strategy Report":

"(a) Transmittal to Congress

(1) The President shall transmit to Congress each year a comprehensive report on the national security strategy of the United States (hereinafter in this section referred to as a 'national security strategy report').
(2) The national security strategy report for any year shall be transmitted on the date on which the President submits to Congress the budget for the next fiscal year under section 1105 of title 31.
(3) Not later than 150 days after the date on which a new President takes office, the President shall transmit to Congress a national security strategy report under this section. That report shall be in addition to the report for that year transmitted at the time specified in paragraph (2).

(b) Contents
Each national security strategy report shall set forth the national security strategy of the United States and shall include a comprehensive description and discussion of the following:

(1) The worldwide interests, goals, and objectives of the United States that are vital to the national security of the United States.
(2) The foreign policy, worldwide commitments, and national defense capabilities of the United States necessary to deter aggression and to implement the national security strategy of the United States.
(3) The proposed short-term and long-term uses of the political, economic, military, and other elements of the national power of the United States to protect or promote the interests and achieve the goals and objectives referred to in paragraph (1). (4) The adequacy of the capabilities of the United States to carry out the national security strategy of the United States, including an evaluation of the balance among the capabilities of all elements of the national power of the United States to support the implementation of the national security strategy.
(5) Such other information as may be necessary to help inform Congress on matters relating to the national security strategy of the United States.

(c) Classified and unclassified form
Each national security strategy report shall be transmitted in both a classified and an unclassified form."

2000 - Title 50, Chapter 15, Subchapter I, § 404a, Annual National Security Strategy Report (6.92 KB)

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