NSI’s Mission, Approach, Vision, and Values

The National Security Institute’s Mission

The National Security Institute’s mission is to strengthen American national security and U.S. global leadership by educating future leaders and advancing actionable solutions based on practical experience.

The National Security Institute’s Approach

NSI draws on the expertise of an all-volunteer group of experts who have held senior positions in the intelligence, defense, technology, and law sectors to produce research and actionable policy proposals.

We are different than other think tanks in that our experts have the diversity of experience, knowledge, and skills necessary to respond to the developing national security threat landscape, ensuring that our work is timely, fact-based, and geared towards informing and impacting policymakers in a way that works for them.

The National Security Institute’s Core Beliefs & Values

  • We believe that American laws should support our national security and preserve the American way of life, including our Constitutional rights and liberties. 
  • We believe that a strong military and a highly capable intelligence community, alongside the wise use of diplomatic and economic tools, are vital to advancing American national security interests.
  • We believe America should be an advocate for the rights enshrined in the Constitution around the globe and that the world is a safer place when America is actively engaged and leads by action and example.
  • We believe that American national security and foreign policy decisions should be made principally in light of America’s own interests.
  • We believe that American national security is strengthened when we support our allies and make our enemies respect our strength.
  • We believe that America deters foreign aggression through clear redlines, demonstrated capabilities, and a willingness to act decisively when those redlines are crossed. 
  • We believe that the power of the President to preserve and defend the nation and the Constitution is strong.
  • We believe that Congress can play a constructive role in setting national security and foreign policy and conducting appropriate oversight over the executive branch.
  • We believe the judiciary has a limited role in national security affairs in keeping with our Constitutional structure and the judiciary’s relative competence in such matters.
  • We believe that individual personal and intellectual diversity is crucial to a well-informed society and foreign policy, and that these values must be championed as we develop the next generation of national security leaders.

The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors or contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other NSI faculty, fellows, or members of the board of advisors.

Learn more about NSI’s history, mission, and values here.