United States National Security Advisor

The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor, serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues. He or she serves on the National Security Council within the Executive Office of the President.

The National Security Advisor is appointed by the President without confirmation by the Senate. As such he or she is not connected to the bureaucratic politics of the Departments of State and Defense and therefore is able to offer independent advice. The power and role of the National Security Advisor varies from administration to administration.

The current National Security Advisor is Dr. Condoleezza Rice.

The list of former National Security Advisors include:

Robert Cutler	1953-55
Dillon Anderson	1955-56
Robert Cutler	1957-58
Gordon Gray	1958-61
McGeorge Bundy	1961-66
Walt Rostow	1966-69
Henry Kissinger	1969-75
Brent Scowcroft	1975-77
Zbigniew Brzezinski	1977-81
Richard V. Allen	1981-82
William Clark	1982-83
Robert McFarlane	1983-85
John Poindexter	1985-86
Frank Carlucci	1986-87
Colin Powell	1987-89
Brent Scowcroft	1989-93
Anthony Lake	1993-97
Sandy Berger	1997-01
Condoleezza Rice	2001-