The impact of state security privatization

This thesis looks into how intelligence outsourcing to private actors impacts state security and sovereignty. This is done in response to the growing amount of influence private intelligence is gaining on state security. The theoretical framework consists of neoclassical realism and liberal institutionalism. These approaches look at state security control, institutional cooperation and how other actors have an influence. Critical security studies is also addressed to assess the research question better where the other two approaches fall short. The research method used in this thesis is that of textual comparative analysis, done through comparing three different national security strategies from the US and Israel. Through analyzing these reports, it shows that sovereignty and security governance get drastically altered through the rise of public-private collaborations. Sovereignty and security governance do not lose their definition, but rather get reshaped in a way previous IR theories fail to adapt to.