Creating the National Security State: A History of the Law That Transformed America [Hardcover]

Douglas T. Stuart (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0691133719 | ISBN-13: 978-0691133713 | Publication Date: February 19, 2008

For the last sixty years, American foreign and defense policymaking has been dominated by a network of institutions created by one piece of legislation--the 1947 National Security Act. This is the definitive study of the intense political and bureaucratic struggles that surrounded the passage and initial implementation of the law. Focusing on the critical years from 1937 to 1960, Douglas Stuart shows how disputes over the lessons of Pearl Harbor and World War II informed the debates that culminated in the legislation, and how the new national security agencies were subsequently transformed by battles over missions, budgets, and influence during the early cold war.

Stuart provides an in-depth account of the fight over Truman's plan for unification of the armed services, demonstrating how this dispute colored debates about institutional reform. He traces the rise of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the transformation of the CIA, and the institutionalization of the National Security Council. He also illustrates how the development of this network of national security institutions resulted in the progressive marginalization of the State Department.

Stuart concludes with some insights that will be of value to anyone interested in the current debate over institutional reform.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book provides a rich historical account of the creation and implementation of the National Security Act of 1947, which led to the rise of a national security bureaucracy within the executive branch. Stuart covers a wide range of political actors who shaped national security policy during the middle of the 20th century, including Ferdinand Eberstadt, George Marshall, and James Forrestal. . . . Scholars from many backgrounds will find this book to be informative. -- A. L. Warber, Choice



[T]he value in Creating the National Security State is the extensive analysis of the debates leading to the passage of the 1947 National Security Act and the fate of the act's institutional components. -- Diane Putney, H-Net Reviews



At a time when much talk of recasting the national security policies of Western countries, the United States for a start, as well as the institutions in charge of those policies, Douglas Stuart's book on the 1947 National Security Act is a timely contribution in that it lays the historical foundations for such a debate. -- Francesco N. Moro, International Spectator



Stuart's research and analysis is largely persuasive and clearly presented. Unravelling bureaucratic clashes represents the strength of the text. -- Kaeten Mistry, Journal of American Studies

From the Inside Flap

"In this lucid, carefully researched, and meticulously argued volume, Douglas Stuart revisits the founding legislation of cold war military and foreign policy. He explains how American thinking about national security was transformed and how the military establishment rose to such prominence in American life. Creating the National Security State is a major contribution--indispensable scholarship for historians, political scientists, and the policymaking community."--Richard H. Kohn, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

"This book is unique in demonstrating how ideas, bureaucratic politics, and raw political power interacted with a changing security environment to bring about the birth of the modern national security state. The essential insights and interests expressed by the major players during the 1945-53 period remain with us today, and we could all benefit from this history of experiment, wrong-headed choices, and triumph. Stuart writes with verve and is a master of the judiciously used anecdote."--John Garofano, United States Naval War College

"This is a deeply researched and compelling study of the development of the national-security state from the late 1930s through the late 1950s. This book makes a major contribution to many fields of history, political science, and sociology. It addresses some of the key debates about the nature of the cold war and its effects on American society."--Jeremi Suri, University of Wisconsin--Madison

"This is a first-rate examination of the origins of America's national-security establishment. The book is a significant contribution to the field, providing some excellent insights into why the United States ended up with the hodgepodge of security institutions that it has endured since 1947."--Loch K. Johnson, University of Georgia

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 358 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (February 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691133719
• ISBN-13: 978-0691133713
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #479,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From National Interests to National Security, April 24, 2011

By 

Kenneth J. Dillon (Washington, D.C. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creating the National Security State: A History of the Law That Transformed America (Hardcover)

Many observers recognize that the U.S. Government has for decades placed too
much emphasis on military might to the detriment of other interests. This book
provides a sobering explanation of how such a skewed approach emerged. Stuart is
an historian at Dickinson College and also adjunct professor at the U.S. Army War
College. He shows how the 150-year tradition of peacetime pursuit of national
interests headed by the State Department gave way to the "Pearl Harbor System"
of viewing the world through the perspective of potential threats to national
security.
Paying special attention to the arguments of Professor Pendleton Herring for a more
militarized and unified system to combat the threat of foreign dictatorships in the 1930s,
Stuart carefully traces both the debate and the political maneuvering during and after
World War II that led to the National Security Act of 1947. The birth of the NSC and
CIA, the spinoff of the Air Force from the Army, the rearguard action of
the Navy to thwart unification of the services, the decline of State--
Stuart skilfully analyzes how these shaped the national security state. He
also takes the story into the Fifties to show how the various roles in the new
system--most notably, the covert operations of CIA that replaced its original
mission of intelligence coordination--fell into place in practice.
As a retired FSO, I found this account thorough, objective, and ultimately chilling.
One sees that, once the militarized national security system took shape, it
crunched forward inexorably despite occasional setbacks and scandals. Still,
Stuart finds some hope in the thought that the U.S. has become "a chastened
Colossus that is increasingly aware of the limits of its capabilities and the
complexity of its challenges. This is why," he continues, "a policymaking system that asks,
'Where is the threat?' and 'Who is the enemy?' is not as useful as a system
that asks, 'What are the issues?' and 'What are our interests?'"
I recommend this book to anyone concerned with the reform of the U.S. Government
and the redirection of its policies to deal with the real challenges of the future.