What does the National Security Council (NSC) primarily do?

The National Security Council (NSC) serves as the principal forum for national security issues in the United States. This means that it plays a critical role in coordinating and advising the President on matters of national security and foreign policy. The NSC is composed of key officials from various sectors of the government, including the President, Vice President, Secretaries of State and Defense, and other relevant advisors. It is responsible for discussing and formulating strategies to respond to threats and challenges to national security, ensuring that policy decisions are informed by comprehensive assessments of intelligence and other relevant information.

This function differentiates the NSC from other processes within the government. For instance, while managing intelligence budgets is crucial, it is typically the responsibility of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in collaboration with specific intelligence agencies. Similarly, overseeing the training of intelligence personnel falls under the purview of individual intelligence agencies, rather than the NSC itself. Additionally, conducting military operations abroad is primarily a responsibility of the Department of Defense and the military command structures, rather than a direct function of the NSC, which focuses more on strategy and policy formulation than on direct operational control.