March 29, 2021
The Interim National Security Strategic Guidance
On March 3, 2021, the White House released an Interim
and what the right emphasis - in terms of budgets, priorities,
National Security Strategic Guidance (INSSG). This is the
and activities—ought to be between the different kinds of
first time an administration has issued interim guidance;
security challenges. The 2017 Trump Administration NSS
previous administrations refrained from issuing formal
framed the key U.S. national security challenge as one of
guidance that articulated strategic intent until producing the
strategic competition with other great powers, notably
congressionally mandated National Security Strategy (NSS)
China and Russia. While there were economic dimensions
(originating in the Goldwater-Nichols Department of
to this strategic competition, the 2017 NSS emphasized
Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 P.L. 99-433, §603/50
American military power as a key part of its response to the
U.S.C §3043). The full NSS is likely to be released later in
challenge.
2021 or early 2022.
By contrast, the Biden INSSG appears to invert traditional
The INSSG states the Biden Administration’s conceptual
national security strategy formulations, focusing on
approach to national security matters as well as signaling its
perceived shortcomings in domestic social and economic
key priorities, particularly as executive branch departments
policy rather than external threats as its analytic starting
and agencies prepare their Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget
point. The Biden Administration contends that the lines
submissions. With respect to the latter, FY22 will be the
between foreign and domestic policy have been blurred to
first budget prepared after the expiration of the budget caps
the point of near nonexistence. Security, in this line of
required under the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011.
thinking, ought to be measured by effects of strategic
Details regarding how the Administration’s conceptual
choices on American’s lives and on the resiliency and
approach will be implemented across different regions and
preparedness of U.S. society to meet challenges from
functional issues are likely to be expressed in the full NSS.
abroad, rather than relative to external threats or
departmental budget shares. Further, the INSSG argues that
Conceptual Approach
national security strategy must be more fully integrated
In drafting national security strategies, every administration
with—if not driven by—domestic policy priorities. Central
faces central questions about how the U.S. government
to this vision of security are strengthening American
should define and advance national security. The Biden
democracy, promoting racial equality, countering
Administration argues that the COVID-19 pandemic and
authoritarian populism, and pursuing an economic agenda
other systemic issues, including (but not limited to) climate
that explicitly focuses on working class families. As this
change and the rise of anti-democratic authoritarian
logic goes, addressing key domestic challenges will allow
populism, are forcing the United States to take an expansive
the U.S. to outwardly model aspirational goals and, in so
view of what constitutes matters of national security. In so
doing, demonstrate international leadership.
doing, the INSSG articulates some continuity with the
Trump Administration in identifying the challenge that
While noting the importance of preparing and maintaining a
strategic competition with China poses to U.S. national
military that is capable of contending with external threats,
security.
the guidance emphasizes diplomacy as a “tool of first
resort” for contending with the complexity of the
By comparison, “traditional” security analyses contend that
international security environment and its increasing
security ought to be synonymous with the mitigation of
intersections with American domestic policy. Ultimately,
military risk and the effective deterrence—or prosecution—
the INSSG lays out a vision of American statecraft that
of warfare between states. “Human security,” a concept of
focuses on shoring up key areas of domestic social and
security centered on the individual, rather than the state,
economic policy while simultaneously bolstering
and concerned with the overall well-being of people within
international partnerships, alliances and institutions. The
society, became another way that scholars and practitioners
INSSG can be viewed as a statement of what the United
began evaluating security. Over time, issues including, but
States ought to achieve for its own purposes, even apart
not limited to access to health, transnational crime and
from challenges from other states such as China or Russia.
violence, migration and internally displaced persons,
With respect to China, the INSSG contends that
poverty, infectious disease, impacts of climate change, and
“revitalizing our core strengths is necessary but not
food and energy security have all become associated with
sufficient,” and that the United States must be prepared to
the concept of human security. Terrorism and counter-
“answer Beijing’s challenge.” In the Biden
terrorism are also nontraditional security challenges that are
Administration’s view, achieving this vision will position
key areas of focus for scholars and practitioners.
the United States to meet a variety of external strategic
challenges, including (but not limited to) China, Russia, the
A key question for policymakers over multiple
COVID-19 pandemic, violent extremist terrorism, and
administrations has been how to manage the tension
nuclear weapons proliferation.
between traditional and nontraditional security challenges,
https://crsreports.congress.gov
The Interim National Security Strategic Guidance
INSSG: Key Priorities and Tasks
agencies? Or, does thinking about domestic matters as
The Biden Administration articulates three key priorities
matters of national security reflect a degree of urgency with
and several correlated tasks in the INSSG.
respect to these issues and their centrality to the Biden
Administration’s agenda?
Key Priorities
“Protect the security of the American people by
Are Allies and Partners Always Essential?
defending against great powers, regional adversaries and
The INSSG notes that the international strategic challenges
transnational threats.”
facing the United States–from contending with China
(which is described as a “pacing threat”) to countering
“Expand economic prosperity and opportunity by
authoritarian populism, to pandemic response–require a
redefining America’s economic interests, primarily by
return to coordinated, if not collective, international action.
focusing on improving working families’ livelihoods
Yet allies and partners are sovereign states that have
and achieving an economic recovery grounded in
interests that differ from those of the United States. Is the
equitable and inclusive growth.”
reliance upon these relations with other states a critical
vulnerability in the strategy? Or, does the priority placed on
“Realize and defend the democratic values at the
these relations reflect a strategic necessity of building a new
heart of the American way of life by reinvigorating
international consensus on key matters of national interest?
American democracy, living up to our ideals and values
Is it prudent to assume that allies and partners can be force
for all Americans, and uniting the world’s democracies
enablers? Does U.S. entanglement with allies and partners
to combat threats to free societies.”
introduce risk of strategic entanglement? Does such an
Key INSSG Tasks
approach discount the autonomy that allies and partners
exert as sovereign states in their own right? Are there
“Defend and nurture the underlying sources of
problems that the United States must solve on its own?
American strength, including our people, our economy,
our national defense, and our democracy at home;”
How might Interagency Resources be Rebalanced?
Since 2001, the Department of Defense (DOD) and U.S.
“Promote a distribution of power to deter and prevent
military have taken on missions beyond traditional
adversaries from directly threatening the United States
warfighting responsibilities (including, but not limited to,
and our allies, inhibiting access to the global commons,
providing more security assistance and assisting with
or dominating key regions;”
international disease responses). The State Department, the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the
“Lead and sustain a stable and open international
U.S. Trade Representative, and other agencies provide
system, underwritten by strong democratic alliances,
critical national security capabilities, but possess narrower
partnerships, multilateral institutions, and rules;” and
authorities and command fewer budgetary and personnel
resources.
“Invest in our national security workforce, institutions,
Reflecting on State Department and USAID budgets in
and partnerships, inspire a new generation to public
particular, some national security officials have long argued
service, ensure our workforce represents the diversity of
that imbalances in authorities and resources between
our country, and modernize our decision-making
civilian and military agencies weaken U.S. responses to a
processes.”
variety of national security challenges. If domestic
The INSSG: Some Key Questions
economic and social conditions also have direct relevance
to U.S. national security then the authorities and budgets of
Is the INSSG’s focus broad?
other entities, such as the Departments of Justice and Health
Strategy is ultimately about choices and priorities. If
and Human Services or the Environmental Protection
everything is security, nothing is security; the concept of
Agency, also could require reconsideration. What does the
security becomes tautological. Does the expansive scope of
INSSG suggest about the Administration’s views on the
the INSSG inhibit conceptualization and prioritization of, or
balance of spending on civilian vs. military agencies and
even undermine carrying out, traditional security matters?
activities? How might Congress act to rebalance such
Or, does the INSSG reflect an increasingly interconnected
investments, if at all? How does the Administration view
and interdependent international security landscape?
the relationship between its more expansive concept of
national security and resources?
Does the INSSG “securitize” domestic policy?
In recent decades, some observers and practitioners have
For Further Reading
expressed concern about issues such as development
Joseph R. Biden, Interim National Security Strategic
assistance and immigration being considered as matters of
Guidance, March 2021.
national security. When national security is the frame
Joseph R. Biden, Remarks by President Biden at the
through which broader social or economic problems are
2021 Virtual Munich Security Conference, February
analyzed, they say, security and military oriented solutions
19, 2021.
tend to follow rather than diplomatic, economic or technical
solutions. Does thinking about matters such as domestic
democracy promotion and racial inequality in national
Kathleen J. McInnis, Specialist in International Security
security terms undermine domestic institutions and
IF11798
https://crsreports.congress.gov
The Interim National Security Strategic Guidance
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11798 · VERSION 1 · NEW