The Intelligence Dilemma: Proximity and Politicization–Analysis of External Influences

The relationship between policy-making and strategic intelligence is a source of ongoing discourse. Although there is an abundance of literature about the relationship between consumers and producers of intelligence, consensus as to the relationship between policy makers and intelligence producers is lacking. The two concepts–proximity and politicization–represent the intelligence dilemma that leads to claims ofpoliticization, a word with many interpretations. Most observers of the democratic policy-making process are familiar with the traditional potential sources of politicization yet those sources are not the only potential sources of politicization and there is a paucity of literature about external influences and the politicization of intelligence. In democracies, governed by the people through their elected representatives, many individuals and groups interact with policymakers to influence decisions. This article provides a framework for understanding sources of politicization external to the intelligence community. It identifies anoutside-ininfluence and uses three examples to show how this type of stimulus contributes to the politicization of intelligence.