June 11, 2025
Sharper: The National Guard
The National Guard plays an integral role in U.S. national security, both at home and abroad. The Guard, unique among the military components, is governed by multiple provisions of law that allow it to operate at both state and federal levels. In recent years, the Guard’s mission has expanded—stretching its use. CNAS experts are sharpening the conversation on what the legal, policy, and strategic implications are for the changing face of National Guard deployments. Join us for a virtual event this week and continue reading this edition of Sharper to learn more.
Features
Virtual Event | National Guard & Domestic Deployment: The Law and Executive Power
Join CNAS tomorrow, June 12, at 11:00 a.m. ET for a conversation with CNAS Senior Fellow Carrie Cordero who will be joined by Professor Claire Finkelstein, director of the Center for Ethics and Rule of Law at the University of Pennsylvania, and Professor Mark Nevitt of Emory University School of Law to provide insight into this week’s events and the broader statutory and constitutional implications.
Commentary | The 21st Century National Guard: Expanding Missions, Modernizing Authorities
Last month, CNAS released a new commentary series studying the future of the National Guard. Commentaries in this series explore a current trend or dynamic in modern uses and authorities of the National Guard. Expert authors explore how the Guard is currently being used and will be increasingly called upon in years ahead. Authors provide recommendations for modernizing and clarifying legal authorities for National Guard deployment, and for legislative action at the state and federal levels.
Securing U.S. Democracy Initiative
Virtual Event | National Guard & Domestic Deployment: The Law and Executive Power
Jun 12, 2025
Securing U.S. Democracy Initiative
The 21st Century National Guard: Expanding Missions, Modernizing Authorities
In February 2024, CNAS launched a project on federalism and national security. This portfolio has taken shape under the CNAS Securing U.S. Democracy Initiative. Recognizing th...
Reports | Stress-Testing State Power: When Governors and Presidents Diverge on Matters of National Security
In 2024, CNAS conducted a scenario exercise that studied possible results of a governor and president disagreeing over the deployment of the National Guard. In one scenario exercise, the governor engaged National Guard forces to quell violence connected to protest activity on a college campus, while the president disagreed with the deployment. Based on this scenario, author Carrie Cordero provides practical recommendations for state and federal policymakers that are relevant to current events.
Around the Table | Around the Table with Cole Stevens
Around the Table is a three-question interview series from the Make Room email newsletter. Each edition features a conversation with a peer in the national security community to learn about their expertise and experience in the sector. Cole Stevens is the press secretary and speechwriter for the Senate Armed Services Committee Democratic Staff. He also currently serves as an officer in the U.S. Army National Guard. Read more on how his time in the National Guard shapes his career on the Hill and beyond.
Securing U.S. Democracy Initiative
Stress-Testing State Power
Introduction As the end of the first quarter of the 21st century approaches, the United States’ unique federalist system of government is increasingly relevant as it relates t...
Around the Table with Cole Stevens
Around the Table is a three-question interview series from the Make Room email newsletter. Each edition features a conversation with a peer in the national security community ...
In the News
Commentary and analysis from Carrie Cordero and Katherine Kuzminski
Securing U.S. Democracy Initiative
Can the President Deploy the National Guard to American Cities?
On CNN, Carrie Cordero breaks down the laws behind whether the President can deploy the National Guard to American cities, and whether the Insurrection Act will be invoked....
National Security Human Capital Program
‘We are all in disbelief’: How the New Hampshire National Guard failed to protect female soldiers
National Guard units are also led by general officers, known as TAGs or adjutant generals, such as Mikolaities, who report directly to their state’s governor but also to the P...
More from CNAS
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Can the President Deploy the National Guard to American Cities?
Video
On CNN, Carrie Cordero breaks down the laws behind whether the President can deploy the National Guard to American cities, and whether the Insurrection Act will be invoked....
By Carrie Cordero
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Balancing Act: Ensuring the National Guard Can Meet Its Missions
Commentary
Taren Dillon Sylvester is a research assistant for the National Security Human Capital Program at the Center for a New American Security. In February 2025, New York Governor K...
By Taren Sylvester
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Extremist Militias on Federal Duty
Commentary
Dakota S. Rudesill is associate professor at the Moritz College of Law, and national security simulation director and research associate at the Mershon Center for Internationa...
By Dakota S. Rudesill
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Protecting the Integrity of the National Guard
Commentary
Claire Finkelstein is the Algernon Biddle professor of law and professor of philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is the faculty director of the Center for E...
By Claire Finkelstein
