This course focuses on the development of U.S. intelligence capabilities from the 1920s to the present. Internal efforts to adapt to changing circumstances are essential to the discussion. So are external pressures such as public opinion and congressional interest in CIA activities. An underlying theme consists of the tensions inherent in obtaining and protecting national security information through secret institutions while ensuring the safeguarding of U.S. citizen rights and democratic practices. Key questions include:
- What were the deficiencies and strengths of U.S. intelligence during the 20 years preceding the Second World War?
- How did Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor reveal flaws in U.S. intelligence?
- How did the U.S. government construct a post-Second World War intelligence structure?
- What was the impact of press exposés in the 1970s of CIA and FBI violations of legal restrictions?
- How might U.S. intelligence agencies respond to new challenges in a changing national security environment?
- How should the U.S. ensure a balance between secrecy and protection of democratic government?
The instructor will set the stage for discussion topics or to fill gaps in recommended readings. Most class time will be devoted to discussions in a seminar format. A few brief articles will be recommended for each class meeting, generally no more than an hour’s worth of reading. In the seminar format, a successful discussion will be dependent on students having done the reading prior to class. Additional readings will be suggested for eager learners.
Recommended Readings: “Intelligence Warnings of the Pearl Harbor Attack Before Dec. 7, 1941,” History on the Net; The National Security Act of 1947, Public Law 253; “MK Ultra: Mind-Control, LSD and the US Government,” Eva Campbell, Retrospect Journal; “US Intelligence, Domestic Surveillance, and the Time of Troubles,” David Robarge, Studies in Intelligence, June 2024; “New Frontiers in Intelligence: The Changing Nature of Espionage,” Council on Foreign Relations, November 7, 2025; “CIA Has a Gen Z Problem: Young Spies Are Just Not ‘Feeling It,” SPYSCAPE.