NS3155 Intelligence and Democracy

This course examines the methods civilian authorities in emerging democracies can use to establish strong, effective controls over their intelligence agencies. The course begins by examining the intelligence process in the United States and the United Kingdom, and the potential problems that intelligence activities can pose to democratic governance. Next, students will analyze the mechanisms used by the U.S., the U.K., France and other long-established democracies to maintain control over their intelligence organizations. These instruments of control include use of the power of the purse, structural and organizational arrangements, legislative oversight, and legal mechanisms. Employing the case study approach, students will examine the recent efforts by democracies in Latin America, Central Europe, Africa, and Asia to establish their own democratic controls over intelligence, and the challenges that such nations will face in the future. Prerequisites: None.

Lecture Hours

4

Lab Hours

0

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Identify and analyze (compare and contrast) the various forms of non-democratic regimes;
• describe, and analyze (compare and contrast) the various forms of transitions to democracy;
• describe the institution-building processes involved in democratic consolidation;
• assess and analyze (compare and contrast) how different forms of political regimes use intelligence and carry out varying forms of civilian control over their intelligence agencies;
• investigate and assess the challenges associated with operating of intelligence agency in a democracy and identify ways and means to address it;
• analyze the various institutions involved in democratizing intelligence;
  • describe the purpose, roles, and missions of intelligence in a democracy;
  • identify and assess the existing democratic control and oversight mechanisms over intelligence; and,
  • identify and analyze the various ethical issues associated with operating an intelligence system in a democracy.