Intelligence, Strategy and Governance in the Twenty-first Century

Abstract In Decision Advantage: Intelligence in International Politics from the Spanish Armada to Cyberwar, Jennifer E. Sims seeks to correct popular misconceptions of how espionage operates and rebut the views of those who dismiss its importance in international politics. Examining several well-documented historical cases, she argues that intelligence is widely misunderstood, on the common assumption that it consists of only what intelligence institutions do. With this in mind, she concludes that the proper goal of a government in utilising intelligence should be ‘the orchestration of intelligence in light of the competitive moment’ – ‘orchestration’ being a two-way street where communications pass up and down the chain between decision-makers and intelligence professionals, whom she believes should be encouraged to express strong views. Sims understands that an intelligence community reflects the strengths and weaknesses of the society it represents, and the abilities of the officials appointed to manage it and elected to oversee it. But she remains cautiously optimistic, providing an erudite road map for how ‘decision advantage’ can be realised.