Negative perceptions and misperceptions about the U.S. government’s personal vetting (PV) process or obtaining a security clearance can have negative consequences. For example, they can deter otherwise-qualified individuals from pursuing positions in the government. Applicants’ misunderstandings about adjudication criteria can also lead some to omit or falsify information, making it harder for the U.S. government to assess security risks posed by applicants. Other applicants might share too much unnecessary information, which slows down the process and increases costs.
To identify common perceptions and misperceptions, the authors used multiple approaches to data collection and analysis. They interviewed subject-matter experts, manually reviewed online videos and websites, used large language models (LLMs) to analyze blogs and social media posts about the PV process, and analyzed how a generative artificial intelligence chatbot addressed hypothetical users’ concerns about navigating the PV process (specifically regarding substance use and foreign contacts).
Using these analyses, the authors provide key findings related to the negative impacts of these perceptions and misperceptions about the security clearance process and offer recommendations for the government to address them, including ways to enhance engagement with applicants and improve information transparency and accuracy.