How secret is top secret?
Critical Analysis
From National Guard members on bases in Massachusetts to generals at NATO headquarters in Brussels to American bureaucrats all over the world, the “top secret” level of clearance gives bearers an extraordinary level of access. With it, they can see secure Pentagon and other intelligence sites, daily intelligence briefings, situation maps and detailed analyses of the state of the world as seen through the eyes of the American intelligence community. According to the data in the visual above, how many people total have access to “Top Secret” U.S. government information?
According to the data in the visual above, of the people who have access to “Top Secret” U.S. government information, how many are not government employees?
There are four levels of security clearance in the U.S. government:
Confidential clearance "provides access to information or material that may cause damage to national security if disclosed without authorization."
Secret clearance "provides access to information or material that may cause serious damage to national security if disclosed without authorization."
Top secret clearance "provides access to information or material that may cause exceptionally grave damage to national security if disclosed without authorization."
Finally, sensitive compartmented information "provides access to all intelligence information and material that require special controls for restricted handling within compartmented channels." Based on the information in the visual above, make a claim about whether too many people have access to “Top Secret” U.S. government information.
Initially suspected to have been an intelligence operation by a state actor, the FBI has now arrested a 21-year-old member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. The suspect is believed to have been motivated by impressing fellow members of an online chat group. Do you think 21 year-olds should be given top secret clearance?
The trove of leaked classified American documents, some of which were barely 40 days old, discussed weaknesses in the Ukrainian military and exposed the ability of U.S. surveillance to penetrate Russian communications systems. They included maps of Ukrainian air defenses and documents that paint a picture of the Russian government feuding internally over the war’s casualty count. The documents also revealed previously unknown information about American intelligence gathering and the actions of other countries. The Pentagon will likely be dealing with the fallout from the leaking of scores of pages of sensitive material for months as, in the immediate term, Russian military planners pore over the leaked files for clues to their own compromised agencies. How will this leak impact American foreign policy?
The Justice Department has released the charging documents against Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard who faces charges related to the leaking of hundreds of U.S. classified documents on a gaming chat server. Mr. Teixeira was charged in federal court in Boston on Friday with two separate counts: The unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information and the unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material. The two charges could lead to years of jail time. How long do you think he should go to jail?
Security clearances are given out by a number of U.S. government agencies, including the departments of Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, Justice, State, and the CIA. But it is important to note that clearances aren't given to people; they are attached to jobs. You do know that 17 year-olds are given big dangerous weapons by the U.S. military, right?
Explain whether the advent of social media has made secret U.S. government information more safe?
Lately, there have been a lot of new stories of leaks and of top secret documents being found in insecure locations (hello presidents Biden and Trump!). One possible reason for this, experts say, is that too many documents are classified in the first place. The federal government classifies more than 50 million documents a year. It's difficult, if not impossible, to keep track of all of them. Some get lost and found years later — and many more are likely still out there. Make a claim about whether there should be less classified documents to begin with.
In the visual below* Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia defends Jack Teixeira, the suspect in the Pentagon documents leak, as a victim of "the Biden regime" for being "white, male, christian [sic], and antiwar." Based on your knowledge of American politics make a claim about whether Jack Teixeira is an American hero.
Learning Extension
Historian Matthew Connelly says government records are marked as "classified" three times every second — and many of them will never be declassified. Listen to this interview about what that means for the public and how this might change. His new book is The Declassification Engine.
Action Extension
Contact President Biden and tell him what you think of the recent classified leaks.
Visual Extension*
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