| Summary/Abstract |
Proponents of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) in intelligence make two basic claims: (1) preferential hiring and promotions for minorities, women, LGBTQ+ people, and disabled persons is good, ethically and politically; and (2) the preferences improve the operational performance of intelligence agencies. This article addresses the second assertion, finds that DEI proponents have failed to provide evidence to support their position, and concludes that preferences for domestically-defined demographic groups cannot improve the performance of foreign-focused intelligence services. Such claims primarily reflect ideological views popular in government and the academy as well as the personal, parochial interests of persons from the favored groups. Instead, the traditional view of the value of diversity remains accurate: capable individual persons with different skills from all major demographic groups are primary drivers of excellent intelligence performance.
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