Statecraft How the National Security Strategy Gets Made
Mar 12, 2026
Nadia Schadlow, former Deputy National Security Advisor and architect of the 2017 National Security Strategy now at the Hudson Institute. She walks through how the National Security Strategy is drafted and negotiated across agencies. She explains how wording signals priorities, contrasts the tones of the 2017 and 2025 strategies, and stresses the often-overlooked role of time in strategic choices.
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Consensus Drafting Trades Clarity For Buy In
- Consensus drafting can produce lowest-common-denominator language but is often necessary to get implementation across diverse agencies.
- Schadlow accepts that chief drafters must balance coherence with buy-in so departments will act on the strategy.
Adjectives In Strategy Function As Policy Signals
- High-level strategy uses adjectives as signals while operational specifics are reserved for follow-on documents like the National Defense Strategy.
- Schadlow notes words like 'more capacity' or 'produce at scale' are deliberate signals about force size or speed without technical detail.
Gain Advantage By Dropping The First Draft
- Be first to place language in the interagency process to shape outcomes; early wording creates templates others must respond to.
- Schadlow used initial 'paper drops' to secure framing advantage and force other agencies to rebut or accept her wording.
