The non-partisan Project on National Security Reform (PNSR) was established to assist the nation in reforming its national security system to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The project is led by James R. Locher III, a principal architect of the Goldwater-Nichols Act that modernized the joint military system, and sponsored by Ambassador David Abshire within the Center for the Study of the Presidency, a 501 (c)(3) organization.

 

The security environment has changed and the United States needs a new set of tools to deal with it. The current 60 year old tools were designed to assist the president to wage the Cold War, a long strategic competition that ended peacefully. Now, however, the United States faces a wider variety of threats and challenges that are more difficult to anticipate. Globalization has blurred the lines between the foreign and the domestic and reduced the utility of military force as the primary instrument of national power. From 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to homeland disaster prevention and consequence management, the 21st century requires a more agile government. To operate effectively in this environment, the United States government needs to be able to rapidly communicate within its own structures and assemble and integrate national expertise and capabilities for a tailored approach to each new problem.

 

To achieve this agility, the U.S. government requires comprehensive reform in the statutory, regulatory, and congressional oversight authorities that govern the national security system. PNSR will advance such changes through a detailed study and legislative proposals that would replace many provisions of the National Security Act of 1947. PNSR works closely with Congress, executive departments and agencies, nonprofit public policy organizations, universities, industry, and private foundations.

 

Achieving these goals takes strong leadership. The Project’s Guiding Coalition, a group of distinguished Americans with extensive service in the public and private sectors, sets strategic direction for the Project. These individuals ensure a comprehensive bipartisan view of major issues and will help communicate the ultimate findings and proposals of the Project to national-level constituencies and the general public.

 

In addition to its Guiding Coalition, the Project involves the collaboration of more than 300 people from an array of think tanks, universities, and companies, including private intellectuals, current and former practitioners, former national leaders, military officers, and government personnel. The Project works closely with the House National Security Interagency Reform Working Group, co-chaired by Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY) and Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA). The Project is expected to span two years.