The years from Kennedy onward have seen each president personalize his administration in part through his appointment of the National Security Advisor, and in smaller measures through aspects of the NSC itself. Bundy, under Kennedy and later Lyndon B. Johnson, was the first powerful National Security Advisor, but his influence appears minimal compared to that of the most powerful individual ever to hold the position: Henry Kissinger. Emblematic of Kissinger's role was the fact that for part of his tenure as National Security Advisor to presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford, he also served as Secretary of State.
From the Nixon era onward, presidents have likewise placed their personal stamp on the NSC through presidential directives, classified orders often drafted with the assistance of the National Security Advisor. These orders became known, in turn, as National Security Decision Memorandums (Nixon and Ford), Presidential Directives (Carter), National Security Decision Directives (Ronald Reagan), National Security Directives (George H. W. Bush), Presidential Decision Directives (William J. Clinton), and National Security Presidential Directives (George W. Bush).
Best, Richard A. The National Security Council: An Organizational Assessment. Huntington, NY: Novinka Books, 2001.
Felix, Antonia. Condi: The Condoleeza Rice Story. New York: Newmarket Press, 2002.
Hillen, John. Future Visions for U.S. Defense Policy: Four Alternatives Presented as Presidential Speeches. New York: Council on Foreign Relations, 1998.
Kissinger, Henry. Problems of National Strategy: A Book of Readings. New York: Praeger, 1965.
Powell, Colin L., and Joseph E. Persico. My American Journey. New York: Ballantine Books, 1996.
Official Intelligence Documents. American Federation of Scientists. (March 24, 2003).
Executive Orders and Presidential Directives
National Security Act (1947)
NSC (National Security Council)
NSC (National Security Council), History
President of the United States (Executive Command and Control of Intelligence Agencies)
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