ABSTRACT
The collectors of political and economic intelligence have an established pattern for gathering information, both overt and clandestine. Normal work may produce significant new information, which often requires a special focusing of effort. Since manpower is limited, more routine work may be dropped for a time in order to concentrate on an issue judged to be more critical at the moment. The gathering of openly available information is the least difficult and least costly method of intelligence collection, yet it requires organization and effort. Technological means of collection have proliferated to cover such intelligence targets and the costs have multiplied, but Sherman Kent's basic description of the information that can be gathered overtly remains basically correct. As one reflects on the global scope of the programs for overt collection, what becomes apparent is the extensive range of materials this makes available for current use and future reference in the Intelligence Community and among policymakers and planners.
