National Security Advisor Duties

Although the term "National Security Advisor” is commonly heard, very few people actually know what this person does. This term is the short term used for the person who acts as the President for National Security Affair’s Assistant. This assistant has a wide range of important duties in his role.

This assistant sits alongside the Secretary of Defense on the National Security Council. Other members he sits next to include the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury and Vice President. This council obtains data from a variety of intelligence and military agencies and makes an attempt to form all of this information into a cohesive whole. This compilation helps the President to make a final decision on whatever information is available.

Other than sitting on the council, this assistant also is responsible for secretarial duties aside from the other members of the council. The assistant must take notes on Presidential and Council decisions, sets the agenda and ensures the preparation of important documents.

The National Security Advisor (NSA) is a part of the National Security Council Principals Committee along with the President’s Chief of Staff, the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of Defense. This committee coordinates the security policy. The National Security Advisor is the chair to the meetings, sets the agenda and consults with others on reasons for the meetings.

The NSA is also the chair to several other committees, such as Homeland Defense, Counter-Proliferation, Proliferation, Information Security, Records Access, Global Environment, Arms Control, International Operations, Human Rights, Democracy, Counter-Intelligence, Intelligence, National Preparedness and Counter-Terrorism.