ThereisahiddencountrywithintheUnitedStates.Itwasformedfromtheastonishingnumberofsecretsheldbythegovernmentandthegrowingranksofsecret-keepersgivenchargeoverthem.Thegovernmentsecrecyindustryspeaksinaprivatelanguageofcodesandacronyms,andfollowsanarcanesetofrulesandcustomsdesignedtoperpetuateitself,repelpenetration,anddeflectoversight.ItjustifiesitselfwiththeassertionthattheAmericanvaluesworthpreservingareoftenbestsustainedbysubterfugeanddeception.Thereareindicationsthatthisdeepstateiscrumbling.Necessarysecretsareoftenimpossibletokeep,whilefrivoloussecretsarekeptforever.Theentiresystemhasfallenpreytopoliticalmanipulation,withleakscarefullytimedtoadvanceagendas,andover-classificationgiventoindefensiblegovernmentactivities.DeepState,writtenbytwoofthecountry’smostrespectednationalsecurityjournalists,disassemblesthesecrecyapparatusoftheUnitedStatesandexaminesreal-worldtrendsthatoughttotroubleeveryonefromthemostaggressivehawktothefiercestcivillibertarian.Thebook:-ProvidesthefullestaccounttodateoftheNationalSecurityAgency’scontroversialsurveillanceprogramfirstspunupinthedarkdaysafter9/11.-ExaminesPresidentObama’sattempttoreconcilehisinstinctsasaliberalwiththerealitiesofexecutivepower,andhisuseofthestatesecretsdoctrine.-Exposeshowthepublic’subiquitousaccesstoinformationhasbeenthesecrecyindustry’stoughestopponenttodate,andprovidesafullaccountofhowWikiLeaksandother“sunlight“organizationsarechangingthegovernment’sapproachtohandlingsensitiveinformation,forbetterandworse.-ExplainshowtheincreasedexposureofsecretsaffectseverythingfromCongressionalbudgetstoArea51,fromSEALTeamSixandDeltaForcetotheFBI,CIA,andNSA.-AssesseswhethertheformalandinformalmechanismsputinplacetoprotectcitizensfromabusesbytheAmericandeepstatework,andhowtheymightbereformed.DeepStateisbasedontheauthors’insatiablecuriosityforthegroundtruthandlayeredonafoundationoforiginalandhistoricalresearchaswellasunprecedentedaccesstolawmakers,intelligenceagencyheads,WhiteHouseofficials,andsecretprogrammanagers.Itdrawsonthousandsofrecentlydeclassifieddocumentsandcandidinterviewswithmorethan100military,industry,andgovernmentofficials.BythebestsellingauthorsofTheCommand:DeepInsidethePresident’sSecretArmy:MarcAmbinder,editoratlargeatTheWeek,contributingeditoratGQandtheAtlantic,whohascoveredWashingtonforCBSNewsandABCNews;andD.B.Grady,acorrespondentfortheAtlantic,nationalsecuritycolumnistforTheWeek,andformerU.S.ArmyparatrooperandAfghanistanveteran.
