NCJ Number
193933
Date Published
April 2000
Length
17 pages
Annotation
In this Phase II report, the United States Commission on National Security/21st Century presents strategic principles to guide the formulation of a U.S. strategy for preserving security and promoting freedom.
Abstract
In looking towards America’s national security for the next 25 years, the U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century examined changes in the world over the last 50 years with emphasis placed on the last decade. The Commission’s mandate consisted of three phases: (1) describe the world emerging in the first quarter of the next century; (2) design a national security structure; and (3) submit changes to the national security structure. This report addresses Phase II of the Commission’s mandate and proposes a framework of a new national security strategy. Following the strategy proposal, a new look would be taken at U.S. national interests and priority objectives. In formulating the new strategy, six principles are put forth as a guide to the formulation of the national strategy. In addition, America’s national security must be grounded in U.S. national interests and these interests were defined in this report at three levels, survival, critical, and significant. With the United States desire to assure its freedom and preserve its security, the national strategy must engage in ways to consolidate and advance peace, prosperity, and democracy. To fulfill these strategic goals into the next century, this report presents six priority objectives and key policy aims. This strategy puts new emphasis on the economic and other non-military components of national security. It focuses on opportunities and attempts to clarify U.S. strategy and purposes. The new national security strategy is intended to carry the United States into a challenging future. Phase III of the Commission’s work will examine current structures and processes to determine their relevance to the 21st Century with applied criteria.