National Security Act of 1947

E181

The National Security Act of 1947 is a landmark U.S. law that reorganized the nation’s military and intelligence structure, creating institutions such as the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, and the Central Intelligence Agency.


Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal statute
amendedBy National Security Act Amendments of 1949
appliesTo executive branch of the United States government
authorized conduct of covert operations by the CIA (as later interpreted and amended)
coordination of intelligence activities
citation 61 Stat. 495
codifiedIn Title 50 of the United States Code
context early Cold War
post–World War II reorganization
country United States of America
surface form: United States
created Central Intelligence Agency
Department of Defense
Joint Chiefs of Staff
National Military Establishment
National Security Council of the United States
surface form: National Security Council

National Security Resources Board
United States Secretary of Defense
surface form: Secretary of Defense

United States Air Force
dateSigned 1947-07-26
defined functions of the Central Intelligence Agency
functions of the National Security Council
effectiveDate 1947-09-18
effectOfAmendments made Secretary of Defense a cabinet-level position with greater authority
renamed National Military Establishment as Department of Defense
enactedBy United States Congress
establishedRoleOf Secretary of Defense as principal defense policy advisor to the President
governs coordination of national security policy
structure of U.S. defense establishment
historicalSignificance cornerstone of the modern U.S. national security state
institutionalized peacetime intelligence apparatus in the United States
legislativeSession 80th United States Congress
merged United States Department of War
surface form: Department of War

Department of the Navy
officeHeldBySigner President of the United States
publicLawNumber Public Law 80-253
purpose to coordinate military, intelligence, and foreign policy
to provide for the national security of the United States
relatedTo Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949
Goldwater–Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986
reorganized United States Armed Forces
surface form: United States armed forces

United States Intelligence Community
surface form: United States intelligence community
resultedIn independent United States Air Force
Department of Defense
surface form: unified Department of Defense
separatedFrom United States Army Air Forces
shortTitle National Security Act of 1947 self-link
signedBy President Harry S. Truman
surface form: Harry S. Truman

Referenced by (55)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Assistant Secretary of War abolishedAsConsequenceOf National Security Act of 1947
Secretary of War abolishedBy National Security Act of 1947
Public Law 80-253 alsoKnownAs National Security Act of 1947
this entity surface form: National Security Act of 1947 (Pub.L. 80–253)
Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1958 amended National Security Act of 1947
National Security Act Amendments of 1949 amends National Security Act of 1947
Public Law 108-458 amends National Security Act of 1947
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff createdBy National Security Act of 1947
Chief of Staff of the Air Force createdBy National Security Act of 1947
Department of the Air Force createdBy National Security Act of 1947
National Security Council of the United States createdBy National Security Act of 1947
National Security Resources Board createdBy National Security Act of 1947
Secretary of the Air Force createdBy National Security Act of 1947
OPC establishedAfter National Security Act of 1947
subject surface form: Office of Policy Coordination
Headquarters United States Air Force establishedBy National Security Act of 1947
Unified Combatant Commands establishedBy National Security Act of 1947
this entity surface form: National Security Act framework
DA establishedBy National Security Act of 1947
subject surface form: United States Department of the Army
Munitions Board formedBy National Security Act of 1947
NME formedBy National Security Act of 1947
Truman administration domestic policy hasPart National Security Act of 1947
Central Intelligence Agency legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
Department of the Navy legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
this entity surface form: National Security Act of 1947 as amended
DCIA legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
subject surface form: Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Joint Chiefs of Staff legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
Munitions Board legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
NME legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
National Intelligence Program legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
this entity surface form: National Security Act of 1947 as amended
National Military Establishment legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
National Security Council of the United States legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
National Security Resources Board legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
SecDef legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
Secretary of the Army legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
United States Air Force legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
Department of Defense legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
subject surface form: United States Department of Defense
United States Department of the Army legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
United States Intelligence Community legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
USIC legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
subject surface form: United States Intelligence Community
United States Secretary of Defense legalBasis National Security Act of 1947
United States national security apparatus legalFramework National Security Act of 1947
DIA legalMandate National Security Act of 1947
subject surface form: Defense Intelligence Agency
this entity surface form: National Security Act of 1947 (as amended)
Truman administration legislativeAchievement National Security Act of 1947
Director of Central Intelligence officeCreatedBy National Security Act of 1947
Public Law 80-253 officialName National Security Act of 1947
80th United States Congress passed National Security Act of 1947
War Department Circular 59 (1941) precedes National Security Act of 1947
Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949 relatedTo National Security Act of 1947
Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1958 relatedTo National Security Act of 1947
Executive Order 12333 relatedTo National Security Act of 1947