Departments & Agencies
Though many executive branch departments and agencies are involved in foreign policy and, depending on the issue, play a role in the NSC process, the Department of State (DOS), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the intelligence community form the core of the foreign policy bureaucracy. The Department of the Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) often play a central role as well.
Department of State
The Department of State conducts the United States’ relationships with foreign countries and international organizations. It maintains the American diplomatic presence abroad, issues visas for foreigners to enter the country, aids American citizens overseas, and manages cultural exchanges and other programs to promote American interests. As head of the department, the secretary of state is the president’s principal foreign affairs advisor and has a keen understanding of the United States’ bilateral relationships, the relationships between foreign countries, and the behavior and interests of their governments. Ambassadors and other high-ranking officials such as the permanent representative to the United Nations carry out U.S. policy at embassies, consulates, and missions around the world.
Department of Defense
The Department of Defense carries out U.S. defense policy and maintains U.S. military forces. It includes the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, as well as an array of agencies with missions ranging from advanced technological research to defense cooperation with friendly countries. The department employs over two million military and civilian personnel and operates military bases across the United States and abroad. The secretary of defense, the head of the department and the president’s principal defense policy advisor, stays up-to-date on the security situation in foreign countries and the possibilities and implications of U.S. military involvement. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff serves as the highest-ranking member of the U.S. armed forces and the president’s top military advisor.
Intelligence Community
The U.S. intelligence community consists of seventeen agencies and organizations, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which gather and analyze intelligence to help policymakers formulate and implement U.S. foreign policy. Each of these agencies has its own mission, such as the National Security Agency’s focus on signals intelligence (information gathered from communications and other electronic signals) and the Defense Intelligence Agency’s focus on military information. The director of national intelligence, the president’s principal advisor for intelligence issues, oversees this network of agencies with the aim of ensuring that they work together and deliver the best possible information to U.S. policymakers.
Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury carries out policy on issues related to the U.S. and global economies and financial systems. The secretary of the treasury, as head of this department, serves as one of the president’s chief economic advisors and is responsible for addressing a range of economic concerns, including growth, trade and investment, and the management of federal finances. The Treasury Department’s ten bureaus, which include the U.S. Mint and the Internal Revenue Service, do much of the department’s work, which ranges from tax collection to printing currency to executing economic sanctions.
Department of Homeland Security
Created soon after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security works to counter and respond to risks to American security. It focuses on issues such as terrorism prevention, border security and immigration, disaster response, and cybersecurity. Familiar agencies within the department include U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which checks travelers and goods coming into the United States; the U.S. Secret Service, which protects the president and investigates financial crimes; and the Transportation Security Administration, which ensures security at airports. The secretary of homeland security oversees the department and advises the president on relevant issues.
Department of Energy
The Department of Energy was created in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter. It carries out U.S. policy as it relates to energy production, the protection of critical energy infrastructure, and energy conservation and efficiency. The Department of Energy further manages the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve and advises on how to enhance U.S. energy independence. Critically, the Department of Energy also oversees the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal. The National Nuclear Security Administration, a semiautonomous agency within the Department of Energy, advises on U.S. nuclear posture, maintains the security and effectiveness of U.S. nuclear weapons, and works to advance nuclear nonproliferation efforts. The Secretary of Energy leads the department and, after a 2007 amendment to the National Security Act of 1947, was added to the NSC to advise the president on matters of energy and nuclear policy.
Department of Justice
The Department of Justice investigates and prosecutes possible violations of federal law, represents the U.S. government in legal matters, oversees federal prisons, and works more broadly to prevent and respond to crime. Agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration are part of the department, as are divisions focusing on particular areas of law, such as national security and civil rights. The Department of Justice employs U.S. attorneys, who serve as federal prosecutors across the country, and the solicitor general, who represents the government in the Supreme Court. Leading the department is the attorney general, who offers legal advice to the president and the heads of other departments, including on matters under discussion in the NSC.
Department of State
The Department of State conducts the United States’ relationships with foreign countries and international organizations. It maintains the American diplomatic presence abroad, issues visas for foreigners to enter the country, aids American citizens overseas, and manages cultural exchanges and other programs to promote American interests. As head of the department, the secretary of state is the president’s principal foreign affairs advisor and has a keen understanding of the United States’ bilateral relationships, the relationships between foreign countries, and the behavior and interests of their governments. Ambassadors and other high-ranking officials such as the permanent representative to the United Nations carry out U.S. policy at embassies, consulates, and missions around the world.
Department of Defense
The Department of Defense carries out U.S. defense policy and maintains U.S. military forces. It includes the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, as well as an array of agencies with missions ranging from advanced technological research to defense cooperation with friendly countries. The department employs over two million military and civilian personnel and operates military bases across the United States and abroad. The secretary of defense, the head of the department and the president’s principal defense policy advisor, stays up-to-date on the security situation in foreign countries and the possibilities and implications of U.S. military involvement. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff serves as the highest-ranking member of the U.S. armed forces and the president’s top military advisor.
Intelligence Community
The U.S. intelligence community consists of seventeen agencies and organizations, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which gather and analyze intelligence to help policymakers formulate and implement U.S. foreign policy. Each of these agencies has its own mission, such as the National Security Agency’s focus on signals intelligence (information gathered from communications and other electronic signals) and the Defense Intelligence Agency’s focus on military information. The director of national intelligence, the president’s principal advisor for intelligence issues, oversees this network of agencies with the aim of ensuring that they work together and deliver the best possible information to U.S. policymakers.
Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury carries out policy on issues related to the U.S. and global economies and financial systems. The secretary of the treasury, as head of this department, serves as one of the president’s chief economic advisors and is responsible for addressing a range of economic concerns, including growth, trade and investment, and the management of federal finances. The Treasury Department’s ten bureaus, which include the U.S. Mint and the Internal Revenue Service, do much of the department’s work, which ranges from tax collection to printing currency to executing economic sanctions.
Department of Homeland Security
Created soon after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security works to counter and respond to risks to American security. It focuses on issues such as terrorism prevention, border security and immigration, disaster response, and cybersecurity. Familiar agencies within the department include U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which checks travelers and goods coming into the United States; the U.S. Secret Service, which protects the president and investigates financial crimes; and the Transportation Security Administration, which ensures security at airports. The secretary of homeland security oversees the department and advises the president on relevant issues.
Department of Energy
The Department of Energy was created in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter. It carries out U.S. policy as it relates to energy production, the protection of critical energy infrastructure, and energy conservation and efficiency. The Department of Energy further manages the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve and advises on how to enhance U.S. energy independence. Critically, the Department of Energy also oversees the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal. The National Nuclear Security Administration, a semiautonomous agency within the Department of Energy, advises on U.S. nuclear posture, maintains the security and effectiveness of U.S. nuclear weapons, and works to advance nuclear nonproliferation efforts. The Secretary of Energy leads the department and, after a 2007 amendment to the National Security Act of 1947, was added to the NSC to advise the president on matters of energy and nuclear policy.
Department of Justice
The Department of Justice investigates and prosecutes possible violations of federal law, represents the U.S. government in legal matters, oversees federal prisons, and works more broadly to prevent and respond to crime. Agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration are part of the department, as are divisions focusing on particular areas of law, such as national security and civil rights. The Department of Justice employs U.S. attorneys, who serve as federal prosecutors across the country, and the solicitor general, who represents the government in the Supreme Court. Leading the department is the attorney general, who offers legal advice to the president and the heads of other departments, including on matters under discussion in the NSC.