National Security Council

US federal executive council that was established under the National Security Act of 1947. The statutory membership includes the president, vice-president, and secretaries of state and defence. Other officials, such as the directors of foreign operations administration and emergency planning, may attend by invitation of the president. Their special advisers include the head of the joint chiefs of staff and the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The operations coordinating board also reports to the council. The special assistant to the president for national security affairs is the chief staff officer, and the national security adviser heads the council's staff.

The purpose of the National Security Council is to advise the president concerning the integration of domestic, foreign, and military policies relating to national security, and so facilitate cooperation on national security matters between the military services and other government departments and agencies. The use made of the National Security Council depends on the views of the president, who may choose to use other advisers outside its formal structure. From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, the functions of the council expanded to include the formulation and implementation of policy.

The National Security Act of 1947 was amended by the National Security Act Amendments of 1949 and the Mutual Security Act of 1951.