ABSTRACT
In the United States, the term “Intelligence Community” (IC) is generally understood to mean the 16 agencies that report to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). As described in previous chapters, the IC of today in many ways resembles the large, bureaucratic structure that came of age in the Cold War. However, since the attacks of 9/11, each organization has taken steps, some drastic, to better adapt to the threats and challenges of the twenty-first century. This chapter presents a description of IC agencies and the critical role each plays in providing decision advantage to American policymakers. However, to only include the 17 designated agencies would be misleading-the private sector and state and local law enforcement are also critical parts of America’s intelligence efforts; their roles are described as well.
