Download

Download Full Text (407 KB)

Description

This paper assesses the persistent challenges of national security reform in the United States and evaluates whether reform might emerge as a salient issue in the 2016 Presidential election. Although calls for restructuring the U.S. national security system have circulated for decades — driven by critiques from blue-ribbon commissions, policymakers, and scholars — meaningful reform has remained largely unrealized. The authors trace the evolution of reform efforts from the post-Cold War era through the Obama administration, examining why early momentum dissipated despite widespread concern among defense and intelligence communities. They explore structural, institutional, and political barriers that have hindered change, analyze how reform narratives have been sidelined in electoral politics, and consider whether shifting threat perceptions and electoral dynamics could reposition national security reform as a viable campaign topic. The paper concludes by arguing that integrating reform into the broader national security debate would benefit both candidates and the nation by clarifying priorities, enhancing institutional agility, and better aligning strategic capabilities with evolving global challenges.

Document Type

Policy Brief

Region(s)

United States

Topic(s)

Defense Policy, Leadership, National Security

Publication Date

3-2016

Publication

Strategic Forum

Publisher

National Defense University Press

City

Washington, D.C.

Keywords

National security reform, 2016 U.S. presidential election, U.S. national security system, Defense reform, Homeland security reform, Intelligence community reform, Policy integration, Strategic governance, Security bureaucracy, Executive-legislative relations

National Security Reform and the 2016 Election

Share

COinS