Evolution of and Reflection on the Models of the US National Security Council 

(By Sun Chenghao)

Abstract: Throughout the successive US administrations, the National Security Council ( NSC) has received varying levels of attention and played different roles, giving birth to the distinctive models. From the Truman to Eisenhower administration, the NSC emerged as a significant mechanism with the Eisenhower model, while from the Kennedy to Reagan administration, the NSC lost itself. The NSC basically formed and carried on the Scowcroft Model from the George H.W. Bush to Obama administration. The evolutionary history of the NSC has witnessed twists and turns. The role of the NSC, important or not, depends on the personal characteristics, managerial styles of different presidents and the weight given to the NSC. The Performance of the National Security Advisors and their relationship with the presidents decides, to some extent, the success of the NSC models. The NSC holds the key to the coordination and formulation of the US national security policy. The NSC’s evolution might provide China with experience and lessons while its future developments deserve our attention.