As Secretary of State and a close confidant of President George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice is the most influential woman in the history of the United States government, and perhaps one of the most famous black women in the world. Her latest stint in Washington, D.C., follows her role as National Security Advisor to the President and a distinguished career as scholar, professor, provost, and fore…
Since its creation in 1947, the NSC has played an increasingly important role in the formation of U.S. national security policy. Christopher C. Shoemaker, a former staff member of the NSC, describes the history, functioning, and weaknesses of the NSC and its staff system and suggests changes that could improve the NSC’s performance.