National security
Security and defense of a sovereign state and its institutions.
National security, also called national defense, is the security and defense of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military attack, it now encompasses non-military dimensions such as terrorism, crime, economic security, energy security, environmental security, food security, and cybersecurity. The concept has evolved significantly since earlier definitions, which focused narrowly on freedom from military threat and political coercion. For instance, Walter Lippmann in 1943 defined a secure nation as one that does not have to sacrifice its legitimate interests to avoid war and can maintain them by war if challenged. Harold Lasswell in 1950 described national security as freedom from foreign dictation, while Arnold Wolfers in 1960 framed it as both the objective absence of threats to acquired values and the subjective absence of fear that those values will be attacked. Later definitions broadened the scope: Harold Brown, a former U.S. Secretary of Defense, included preserving physical integrity and territory, maintaining economic relations on reasonable terms, protecting institutions from external disruption, and controlling borders. Charles Maier in 1990 emphasized a capacity to control domestic and foreign conditions necessary for self-determination, prosperity, and wellbeing. The National Defence College of India in 1996 described it as a blend of political resilience, human resources, economic structure, technological competence, industrial base, natural resources, and military might. A 2008 definition by Prabhakaran Paleri characterized it as a measurable state of a nation’s capability to overcome multi-dimensional threats to its people’s wellbeing and survival by balancing all instruments of state policy. Governments rely on political, economic, and military power, along with diplomacy, to safeguard security, and they may also work to reduce transnational causes of insecurity such as climate change, economic inequality, political exclusion, and nuclear proliferation. Risks include actions by other states, violent non-state actors, narcotic cartels, organized crime, multinational corporations, and natural disasters. Many states organize their policies into a national security strategy, and some appoint a National Security Council or Advisor to pl
- field
- Security studies, political science, military strategy
- known_for
- Evolving concept from military defense to multi-dimensional security including economic, environmental, and cyber threats
- key_definers
- Walter Lippmann, Harold Lasswell, Arnold Wolfers, Harold Brown, Charles Maier, National Defence College of India, Prabhakaran Paleri
Lore & Background
National security, also termed national defense, is the protection of a sovereign state, its citizens, economy, and institutions, traditionally considered a government duty. Originally focused solely on military attack, its meaning has broadened to include non-military dimensions such as economic, energy, environmental, food, and cyber security, as well as crime minimization and counterterrorism. Risks now encompass actions by other states, violent non-state actors, narcotic cartels, organized crime, multinational corporations, and natural disasters. Governments employ political, economic, and military power, along with diplomacy, to safeguard the state, and may work regionally or internationally to reduce transnational causes of insecurity like climate change, economic inequality, political exclusion, and nuclear proliferation. Various definitions have evolved over time: Walter Lippmann (1943) framed it as freedom from war without sacrificing legitimate interests; Harold Lasswell (1950) as freedom from foreign dictation; Arnold Wolfers (1960) as the absence of threats to acquired values; Harold Brown (1977–1981) as preserving territorial integrity, economic relations, institutions, and border control; Charles Maier (1990) as controlling conditions for self-determination and prosperity; and the National Defence College of India (1996) as a blend of political resilience, human resources, economic structure, technology, industry, natural resources, and military might. Prabhakaran Paleri (2008) defined it as a measurable state of overcoming multidimensional threats to people’s well-being and national survival. Dimensions of security include economic, energy, physical, environmental, food, border, and cyber security, closely linked to national power. Many states now organize policies into a national security strategy, sometimes with a National Security Council or Advisor. Military capabilities remain central, traditionally land- or sea-based, but now extending to air, space, cyberspace, and psychological operations. Physical security focuses on mobilizing forces to defend borders and deter military or terrorist attacks, with some states prioritizing territorial defense and others investing in expeditionary capabilities for power projection abroad. Infrastructure security protects critical infrastructure.
Reader's Guide
National security has evolved from a narrow focus on military threats to a broad concept encompassing economic security, energy security, environmental security, food security, border security, and cybersecurity. Governments rely on political, economic, and military power, as well as diplomacy, to safeguard security. They also act to reduce transnational causes of insecurity such as climate change, economic inequality, political exclusion, and nuclear proliferation. The concept remains contested, with various definitions proposed by scholars and institutions, reflecting its multidimensional and dynamic nature.
Did You Know?
- National security risks include actions by other states, violent non-state actors, narcotic cartels, organized crime, multinational corporations, and natural disasters.
- Cyberspace is now recognized as a domain of warfare, with examples including the use of Stuxnet against the Iranian nuclear program.
- Infrastructure security seeks to limit vulnerability of critical structures to sabotage, terrorism, and contamination.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National security in Constitutional Law 1-24?
It is the constitutional principle that a sovereign state must protect its citizens, economy, and institutions, and is treated as a core duty of government. Originally framed around military defense, it now also covers terrorism, economic instability, environmental risks, and cyber threats.
What are National security's powers or role?
National security serves as the legal foundation through which a state justifies safeguarding its people and institutions against both armed and non-armed threats. Its modern scope stretches across energy, food, environmental, and cybersecurity dimensions, giving governments a broad but structured mandate to act.
How does National security's story end?
The concept has no fixed finale; instead, its arc keeps expanding as new categories of threat—cyber attacks, climate risks, economic disruption—get folded into the definition. In canon terms, it remains an evolving framework rather than a concluded chapter.
Why is National security important in constitutional law?
It anchors the state's right to defend its people while simultaneously setting the boundaries within which that power must operate, making it a flashpoint in every debate over civil liberties versus state authority. Without this constitutional pillar, responses to invasion, terrorism, or cyber warfare would lack a coherent legal basis.
Who are the key definers behind National security?
Thinkers like Walter Lippmann, Harold Lasswell, Arnold Wolfers, and Harold Brown helped move the idea from a narrow military concept to a multi-dimensional security framework. Later contributors, including scholars at the National Defence College of India and Prabhakaran Paleri, broadened its application in the global and post-Cold War context.
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