ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the extent to which the world has evolved since the early years of the Cold War when the National Security Act of 1947 was enacted, and the implications for debates about national security reform for the future. While traditional nation-state adversaries—particularly those equipped with nuclear weapons—remain the primary threats to US national security, technology and the interconnectedness of the international system have enabled transnational and non-state actors to pose national security risks for great powers. At the international level, there was consensus regarding the most significant changes to the post-1947 environment. Congress plays a crucial Constitutional role in national security policymaking and, specifically, exercising an oversight function and check on the executive. The key challenge in the domestic environment is how to galvanize Congress to exercise its Constitutional prerogative in national security policymaking. There is plenty that could be accomplished even within the boundaries of existing authorities and the challenges of the contemporary political climate.
