Which statement about the role of intelligence and policymakers is correct?

• A. False: Intel should be partisan to policy aims.
• B. False: Policy makers should ignore intelligence.
• C. False: Intelligence is only advisory.
• D. True: Intel should be objective/non-partisan; policymakers set direction based on it.

Answer: (D)

Intelligence serves as an objective, evidence-based foundation for national security decisions. When analytic work is non-partisan and free of policy agendas, it yields credible assessments of threats, capabilities, and likely developments. Policymakers then use that solid information to set direction and choose among policy options, balancing interests, risks, and resources.

If intelligence were tied to a specific policy aim, its credibility would suffer and decision-makers could get a distorted picture of reality. If policymakers ignored intelligence, they would risk blind spots and poorer outcomes. If intelligence were viewed as only advisory, it would undervalue the concrete assessments and risk analyses that inform feasible options. In practice, intelligence informs but does not dictate policy; direction comes from policymakers informed by reliable analysis.