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Presidential Directives

S3: Science Safety Security

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Presidential Directives are a specific form of Executive Order that state the Executive Branch’s national security policy, and carry the force and effect of law, stating requirements for the Executive Branch. Over time, Presidents have used different names for Presidential Directives. The table below shows the types and abbreviations that appear on this webpage.

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Presidential Directives are issued by the President with the advice and consent of the National Security Council. The National Security Council was established by President Obama’s first Presidential Policy Directive (PPD-1). During the G.W. Bush administration (2001 - 2009), President Bush issued Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPDs) with the advice and consent of the Homeland Security Council and issued National Security Presidential Directives (NSPDs) with the advice and consent of the National Security Council. Some Presidential Directives from the G.W. Bush administration have both an HSPD and an NSPD number. Those Presidential Directives appear as one item in this section, but will show both numbers (HSPD-X/NSPD-Y).

PPD-1 establishes the National Security Council System according to the National Security Act of 1947 to assist and advise the President in all aspects of national security policy as it affects the U.S. – domestic, foreign, military, intelligence, and economic (in conjunction with the National Economic Council. PPD-1 establishes the National Security Council (NSC), the NSC Principles Committee, the NSC Deputies Committee, and allows the NSC Deputies Committee to create Interagency Policy Committees (IPCs) on topics as necessary.