The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised April 7, 2023 |
| Report Number |
IF10470 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Anne Daugherty Miles |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
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Summary:
The Intelligence Community (IC) is often discussed as if it
is a single entity, like a corporation, with the Director of
National Intelligence (DNI) as Chief Executive Officer. In
reality, the IC is a collection of disparate organizations
housed in one of six separate departments headed by
cabinet secretaries and an independent agency that all carry
out intelligence-related functions. Recognizing that the IC
is a confederation of agencies helps to explain why DNI is
more “persuader-in-chief,” than “commander-in-chief.” For
more on the IC, to include its composition, see CRS In
Focus IF10469, The U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), by
Anne Daugherty Miles.
The position of DNI is a recent creation. It replaced the
position of Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) such that
the DCI position no longer exists. The DCI position was
created by President Truman in 1946 (by presidential
letter), prior to passage of the National Security Act of 1947
(P.L. 80-253). Provisions in the Act authorized a “triplehatted”
arrangement in which the DCI simultaneously
served as community manager, Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) and chief intelligence advisor to
the President.
