NATIONAL SECURITY STUDY DIRECTIVES, 1981-1989
As part of managing the national security policy for the Reagan administration, Senior Interagency Groups, members of the National Security Council staff or the Advisor to the President for National Security could call for a policy study on significant security issues. The President would then issue a National Security Study Directive (NSSD) calling for these policy studies. Each NSSD would contain a definition of the problem; a statement of the President’s policy goals; questions to be answered by the policy study; responsibilities for creating the study and possible due dates. The resulting study was used as the framework for United States national security policy. The President would then enact this policy in National Security Decision Directives (NSDDs). The originals of these documents are Presidential records in the custody of the NSC. As the NSC declassifies and releases NSSDs, public reference copies are placed with the National Archives at College Park, Maryland and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Below is a current list with links to the digital copies of all NSSDs declassified in full and in part from President Reagan's two administrations.
Titles with an asterisk (*) indicate NSSD’s which are declassified in part. The remaining titles are declassified in full.
NSSD 1-82 U.S. National Security Strategy (2 pp.) 05 FEB 82
NSSD 2-82 Detecting and Countering the Foreign Intelligence Threat to the U.S. (3 pp.) 16 FEB 82
NSSD 3-82 U.S. Policy and Negotiating Position for Strategic Arms Reductions Talks (2 pp.) 03 MAR 82
NSSD 4-82 U.S. Strategy for the Near East and Southwest Asia (2 pp.) 19 MAR 82
NSSD 5-82 U.S. Policy toward Eastern Europe (3 pp.) 25 MAR 82
NSSD 6-82 U.S.–Japan Relations (3 pp.) 26 MAR 82
NSSD 7-82 U.S. Nuclear Testing Limitations Policy (2 pp.) 05 APR 82
NSSD 8-82 U.S. Strategy towards the Horn of Africa (2 pp.) 12 APR 82
NSSD 9-82 Comprehensive U.S. Energy Security Policy (3 pp.) 20 APR 82
NSSD 10-82 U.S. Policy toward the Americas as a Result of the Falklands Crisis (2 pp.) 23 JUN 82
NSSD 11-82 U.S. Policy toward the Soviet Union (4 pp.) 21 AUG 82
NSSD 12-82 U.S. Relations with China and Taiwan (5 pp.) 07 DEC 82
*NSSD 13-82 National Space Strategy (4 pp.) 15 DEC 82
NSSD 14-82 Scientific Communication and National Security (3 pp.) 23 DEC 82
NSSD 1-83 U.S. Technology Transfer Policy (2 pp.) 25 FEB 83
NSSD 2-83 U.S. International Information Policy (2 pp.) 12 MAR 83
NSSD 3-83 U.S. Approach to International Debt Problem (2 pp.) 14 MAR 83
NSSD 4-83 U.S. Strategy toward Liberia (3 pp.) 05 APR 83
NSSD 5-83 Space Station (2 pp.) 11 APR 83
*NSSD 6-83 Study on Eliminating the threat Posed by Ballistic Missiles (3 pp.) 18 APR 83
NSSD 1-84 U.S. Third World Hunger Relief (2 pp.) 27 FEB 84
NSSD 2-84 U.S. Policy in Southeast Asia (The Kampuchean Problem) (2 pp.) 04 APR 84
NSSD 3-84 U.S. Relations with India and Pakistan (2 pp.) 23 JUL 84
NSSD 4-84 U.S. Policy toward the Philippines (3 pp.) 10 AUG 84
*NSSD 5-84 U.S. Policy towards Iran: The Post-Khomeini Era (2 pp.) 31 AUG 84
NSSD 6-84 U.S. Policy toward the Maghreb (1 p.) 24 SEP 84
NSSD 7-84 U.S. Security Relationship with Saudi Arabia (1 p.) 06 NOV 84
*NSSD 8-84 U.S. Policy towards Malta (2 pp.) 10 DEC 84
NSSD 1-85 Canadian–American Relations (3 pp.) 05 JAN 85
NSSD 2-85 Economic Development for Central America (5 pp.) 09 JAN 85
NSSD 3-85 Shuttle Pricing (2 pp.) 24 JAN 85
NSSD 4-85 U.S. Arms Transfer Policy for the Middle East (8 pp.) 06 FEB 85
*NSSD 5-85 U.S. Policy toward Oceania (11 pp.) 23 APR 85
NSSD 6-85 National Space Transportation and Support Study (3 pp.) 14 MAY 85
NSSD 7-85 U.S. Policy toward Southwest Indian Ocean (3 pp.) 30 JUL 85
*NSSD 8-85 U.S.-South American Relations (7 pp.) 19 NOV 85
*NSSD 1-86 Caribbean Policy Review (3 pp.) 09 JAN 86
NSSD 2-86 Soviet Initiatives in International Economic Affairs (3 pp.) 16 SEP 86
NSSD 3-86 U.S. Support for Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (3 pp.) 19 SEP 86
NSSD 4-86 Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Options (1 p.) 20 OCT 86
NSSD 5-86 Development of National Policy and Strategy for Low Intensity Conflict (2 pp.) 23 OCT 86
NSSD 6-86 Conventional Forces Modernization (2 pp.) 03 NOV 86
NSSD 1-87 Afghanistan (3 pp.) 22 JAN 87
NSSD 2-87 Central America (3 pp.) 22 JAN 87
*NSSD 3-87 Southern Africa (3 pp.) 22 JAN 87
NSSD 4-87 Middle East Peace Process (2 pp.) 22 JAN 87
NSSD 5-87 Mexico (3 pp.) 22 JAN 87
NSSD 6-87 The Philippines (3 pp.) 22 JAN 87
NSSD 7-87 National and Multilateral Strategic Export Controls (3 pp.) 30 JAN 87
NSSD 8-87 National Security and Related Interest Exceptions to U.S. Open Investment Policy (3 pp.) 23 APR 87
NSSD 9-87 Southern Africa: U.S. Policy toward the Front Line States (4 pp.) 18 MAY 87
NSSD 10-87 U.S. Policy towards Philippines (4 pp.) 18 DEC 87
NSSD 1-88 U.S. Policy towards Indochina (3 pp.) 23 MAY 88
