Integrated ReviewEdit
Integrated Review is a framework that aims to align a country’s security, diplomacy, development, and economic policy under a single strategic vision. By bringing together ministries and agencies that traditionally operated in silos, it seeks to ensure that budgets, capabilities, and priorities are coherent with the long-term interests of the state. In practice, an integrated review asks policymakers to consider threats and opportunities across defense, foreign policy, trade, technology, and domestic resilience at the same time, rather than addressing them in isolation. The approach emphasizes national sovereignty, prudent fiscal stewardship, and the belief that prosperity and security reinforce each other.
In many governments, the integrated review has become the instrument through which the executive explains to parliament and to the public how resources will be marshaled to meet a shifting strategic calculus. Proponents argue that a coherent framework reduces waste, avoids duplicative programs, and presents a clear line of sight from ambition to delivery. Critics, by contrast, worry that ambitious cross-cutting reviews can become a political compromise that blunts bold defense or economic choices in favor of managed appeasement. The discussion around integrated review is thus as much about priorities and personality as it is about policy papers and budgets. Security policy Foreign policy Economic policy National security
Scope and purpose
Purpose: to translate a country’s strategic priorities into concrete policy, planning, and resource allocation across multiple domains, including defense, diplomacy, development, and economy. Strategic planning Public policy
Breadth: seeks to consider threats and opportunities from great-power competition, regional instability, cyber risk, and economic leverage, while also addressing domestic resilience, critical infrastructure, and supply chains. Geopolitics Cybersecurity
Balance of interests: aims to protect citizens and national interests while maintaining open markets, credible alliances, and a stable international order. Alliances Trade policy
Output: a prioritized map of capabilities, budgets, and reform measures intended to guide ministries over a multi-year horizon. Budget Fiscal policy
Process and governance
Cross-government process: a coordinated review led by the executive, with input from defense, foreign affairs, finance, industry, energy, and civil society actors. The goal is to avoid contradictory signals and to ensure coherence from strategy to procurement. Public administration Governance
Oversight and accountability: the process typically involves parliamentary scrutiny, quarterly reporting, and ongoing assessments of risk, capability gaps, and delivery timelines. Parliament Oversight
Dynamic adaptation: recognizing that the world changes quickly, many integrated reviews are designed to be revisited or updated as conditions evolve, rather than treated as a one-off plan. Policy cycle Adaptive policy
Strategic themes
Deterrence and resilience: maintain credible defense postures and resilient critical infrastructure to deter aggression and withstand shocks, whether from conventional military pressure, terrorism, or disruptive technologies. Deterrence Critical infrastructure protection
Technology, industry, and supply chains: strengthen domestic capabilities in strategic sectors, promote innovation, and diversify supply chains to reduce dependency on single sources for essential goods and technologies. Industrial policy Technology policy Supply chain security
Alliances and partnerships: deepen engagement with like-minded states and institutions to share risk, coordinate standards, and extend economic and diplomatic reach. NATO Alliances Multilateralism
Prosperity with prudence: pursue open trade and investment where advantageous, while safeguarding critical interests through targeted protections and sensible industrial policy. Trade Economic policy
Values and interests: defend a liberal international order in ways that align with a country’s interests, emphasizing rule of law, human rights, and climate considerations where they do not compromise national security or economic vitality. Liberal international order Human rights Climate policy
Economic dimension
Budget alignment: integrate defense and foreign policy needs with long-term fiscal planning to avoid overextension while maintaining strategic capabilities. Public finance Budget policy
Procurement discipline: pursue value-for-money in procurement, prioritize domestic capability where feasible, and ensure that investments yield practical defense and diplomatic returns. Procurement Public procurement
Growth and resilience: recognize that economic strength underwrites national security, including energy independence, diversified industries, and a skilled workforce. Economic growth Energy security
Global competition and markets: plan for geopolitical competition by leveraging open markets where possible and defending strategic industries from coercive practices. Geoeconomics Trade policy China (country) United States
Controversies and debates
Left-leaning and progressive critiques often contend that integrated reviews tilt too far toward hard power, risk ignoring climate imperatives, or neglect development and humanitarian concerns in favor of deterrence. In a modern global environment, some argue, soft power and moral leadership matter as much as firepower. Proponents counter that a credible national security posture is a prerequisite for any ambitious climate or development program and that resources are finite; it is prudent to prioritize tasks that prevent or deter threats before lecturing others about virtue signaling. Climate policy Foreign aid Development policy
Controversies around priority setting: some claim the review gums up policymaking with too many objectives, diluting accountability and slowing delivery. Supporters respond that clarity about priorities, even at the expense of some ambition, is precisely what makes policy implementable and credible to allies and markets. Policy implementation Public administration
Woke criticisms and why they’re often overstated: critics who emphasize social justice or identity politics argue that integrated reviews neglect human rights, equity, or climate justice. The retort from a pragmatic perspective is that national security and prosperity are enablers, not antagonists, to those goals; a country can strengthen its human rights record and climate leadership most effectively when it has the resources and legitimacy that come from a robust economy and secure borders. In other words, treating security outcomes as a prerequisite for moral aims is not hypocrisy but prudent governance. Critics who dismiss this as “dumb” tend to conflate moral signaling with strategic credibility; a strong state creates the capacity to advance values responsibly rather than paying lip service without means. Human rights Climate policy Moral philosophy
Implementation risks: debates persist about capacity to translate integrated reviews into concrete reforms in bureaucracies that can be slow to adapt, and about balancing urgency with careful, demonstrable results. The right-hand approach emphasizes disciplined reform, accountability, and transparent reporting as essential to maintaining legitimacy with taxpayers and partners. Reform Public accountability
Historical context and exemplars
The concept gained prominence in recent decades as governments faced a more interconnected threat landscape, where security, trade, technology, and climate intersect. The best-known modern example is the integrated review undertaken by the United Kingdom in the early 2020s, which framed a strategic shift toward a more competitive global posture while seeking to protect domestic prosperity. Integrated Review Global Britain United Kingdom
Other states have experimented with similar cross-government exercises to align policy across domains, with varied emphasis depending on national circumstances and political debates. Strategic planning National security strategy