Intel regulations

What Guides the US Intelligence Community

For more than 30 years, every president has used Executive Order 12333 to provide both organizational and implementation direction to the intelligence community.

This executive order, which was first signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, has directed the intelligence community to collect and provide information to the president using all available legal means under the U.S. Constitution and in accordance with the president’s national security priorities.

The objective of Executive Order 12333, and its various amendments, is to ensure that the president and the cabinet members with national security responsibilities are provided with information obtained by the intelligence agencies.