An act passed by Congress in July of 1947 which expanded the president's defense and foreign policy powers. It provided for a unified Department of Defense to run all military branches, created the Joint Chiefs of Staff to advise the government of the status of the military and ongoing military operations, created the National Security Council, which advises the president on matters of foreign and military policy, and created the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to coordinate and carry out clandestine operations against foreign governments.