The conduct of national security and foreign policy exists at the intersection of law and politics. A growing architecture of constitutional, statutory, and international law regulates options available to decisionmakers. Diplomacy between adversaries, rules of engagement for a soldier at a checkpoint in Afghanistan, execution of drone strikes in Yemen, and intelligence gathering at home are all difficult matters that must be tackled with both law and politics in mind.

Designed for advanced undergraduates and graduate students, National Security Law and Policy: A Reader addresses these and other contemporary issues and controversies with an accessible single volume that can serve as a stand-alone course text or be supplemented with other material. Each chapter is focused on one topic or region, providing relevant history, an assessment of major concerns, a description of relevant law, and recommendations for the future.