Skip to main content
  • Sections
  • Search

Center for Strategic & International Studies

User menu

  • Subscribe
  • Sign In

Topics

  • Climate Change
  • Cybersecurity and Technology
    • Cybersecurity
    • Data Governance
    • Intellectual Property
    • Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy
    • Military Technology
    • Space
    • Technology and Innovation
  • Defense and Security
    • Counterterrorism and Homeland Security
    • Defense Budget
    • Defense Industry, Acquisition, and Innovation
    • Defense Strategy and Capabilities
    • Geopolitics and International Security
    • Long-Term Futures
    • Missile Defense
    • Space
    • Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation
  • Economics
    • Asian Economics
    • Global Economic Governance
    • Trade and International Business
  • Energy and Sustainability
    • Energy, Climate Change, and Environmental Impacts
    • Energy and Geopolitics
    • Energy Innovation
    • Energy Markets, Trends, and Outlooks
  • Global Health
    • Family Planning, Maternal and Child Health, and Immunizations
    • Multilateral Institutions
    • Health and Security
    • Infectious Disease
  • Human Rights
    • Building Sustainable and Inclusive Democracy
    • Business and Human Rights
    • Responding to Egregious Human Rights Abuses
    • Civil Society
    • Transitional Justice
    • Human Security
  • International Development
    • Food and Agriculture
    • Governance and Rule of Law
    • Humanitarian Assistance
    • Human Mobility
    • Private Sector Development
    • U.S. Development Policy

Regions

  • Africa
    • North Africa
    • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Americas
    • Caribbean
    • North America
    • South America
  • Arctic
  • Asia
    • Afghanistan
    • Australia, New Zealand & Pacific
    • China
    • India
    • Japan
    • Korea
    • Pakistan
    • Southeast Asia
  • Europe
    • European Union
    • NATO
    • Post-Soviet Europe
    • Turkey
  • Middle East
    • The Gulf
    • Egypt and the Levant
    • North Africa
  • Russia and Eurasia
    • The South Caucasus
    • Central Asia
    • Post-Soviet Europe
    • Russia

Sections menu

  • Programs
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Analysis
    • Blogs
    • Books
    • Commentary
    • Congressional Testimony
    • Critical Questions
    • Interactive Reports
    • Journals
    • Newsletter
    • Reports
    • Transcript
  • Podcasts
  • iDeas Lab
  • Transcripts
  • Web Projects

Main menu

  • About Us
  • Support CSIS
    • Securing Our Future
Report
Share
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Printfriendly.com

Beyond Goldwater-Nichols Phase I Report

Defense Reform for a New Strategic Era

March 1, 2004

The BG-N study team takes a broad view of defense reform, as is necessary in the new strategic era. No longer can defense reform be confined simply to the institutions and functions of the Department of Defense (DoD). Rather, Beyond Goldwater-Nichols (BG-N) recognizes that for the United States to fully seize opportunities and confront threats in the 21st century, both DoD and its partners in the U.S. government must adapt to new strategic circumstances.

The Beyond Goldwater-Nichols study team has concluded that the U.S. national security apparatus requires significant reforms to meet the challenges of a new strategic era. As part of its transformational efforts, the Department of Defense must adapt not only to the post-Cold War, post-9/11 security environment but also must cope with many “hidden failures” that, while not preventing operational success per se, stifle necessary innovation and continue to squander critical resources in terms of time and money. Many organizational structures and processes initially constructed to contain a Cold War superpower in the Industrial Age are inappropriate for 21st century missions in an Information Age.

The key issues that Phase 1 identified for defense reform were: Rationalizing Organizational Structures in the Department of Defense; Toward a More Effective Resource Allocation Process; Procuring Joint Capabilities; Strengthening Civilian Professionals in Defense and National Security; Improving Interagency and Coalition Operations; and Strengthening Congressional Oversight.

Downloads
Beyond Goldwater-Nichols Phase I Report
Written By
Clark A. Murdock
Senior Adviser (Non-resident), International Security Program
Michael A. Coss, Adam N. Marks, Richard W. Weitz
Clark A. Murdock, Michele A. Flournoy, Christopher A. Williams, Kurt M. Campbell
Media Queries
Contact H. Andrew Schwartz
Chief Communications Officer
Tel: 202.775.3242

Contact Paige Montfort
Media Relations Coordinator, External Relations
Tel: 202.775.3173
Related
Beyond Goldwater-Nichols, Defense and National Security Group, Defense and Security, International Security Program

Most Recent From Clark A. Murdock

Report
The Evolving U.S. Nuclear Narrative
By Clark A. Murdock
November 1, 2016
Report
Thinking about the Unthinkable in a Highly Proliferated World
By Clark A. Murdock, Tom Karako
July 29, 2016
On Demand Event
U.S. Nuclear Policy Post-2016 Conference
May 5, 2016
Report
Alternative Defense Strategies in a Cost-Capped Environment
By Mark F. Cancian, Clark A. Murdock
January 4, 2016
On Demand Event
2015 Global Security Forum
November 16, 2015
Congressional Testimony
Future Options for the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent – Views from Project Atom
Statement by Clark A. Murdock
November 3, 2015
In the News
The Defense Budget Showdown
National Defense Magazine | By Jon Harper
August 12, 2015
In the News
Concept of a nuclear-armed F-35C divides opinion
August 4, 2015
View all content by this expert
Footer menu
  • Topics
  • Regions
  • Programs
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Analysis
  • Web Projects
  • Podcasts
  • iDeas Lab
  • Transcripts
  • About Us
  • Support Us
Contact CSIS
Email CSIS
Tel: 202.887.0200
Fax: 202.775.3199
Visit CSIS Headquarters
1616 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Media Queries
Contact H. Andrew Schwartz
Chief Communications Officer
Tel: 202.775.3242

Contact Paige Montfort
Media Relations Coordinator, External Relations
Tel: 202.775.3173

Daily Updates

Sign up to receive The Evening, a daily brief on the news, events, and people shaping the world of international affairs.

Subscribe to CSIS Newsletters

Follow CSIS
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

All content © 2022. All rights reserved.

Legal menu
  • Credits
  • Privacy Policy
  • Reprint Permissions