Narrative and National Security Policy

National security is often regarded as ‘high politics’ – partisan machinations and populist appeals stop at the water’s edge, the old adage insists. Here rational analysis and the national interest drive policy making about the grave issues of war and peace. In this context, formal analysis has tended to focus on effectiveness, cost/benefit, feasibility and the like, while policy formation has been addressed through behind-the-scenes research that traces process and engages with key stakeholders. Yet close analysis of national security documents often reveals the presence of loaded narratives, ripe with emotive language and heavy connotation, and deeply rooted in the surrounding political culture. Such narratives seem to belie characterisation of hard-headed policy making and suggest that a wider array of influences impact the policy formation process.