A administração George W. Bush e a promoção da democracia no Médio Oriente

Abstract

After the terrorist attacks took place in September 2001, George W. Bush administration came along with an assertive foreign policy project. This new agenda entailed the sketching of a new national security strategy and a number of principles which together were later known as “The Bush Doctrine”. It included the democratization of the Middle East through regime change, the principle of preventive war, the preference for the unilateral power and the “coalitions of the willing” and the use of the military power as the first option. Throughout this thesis we endeavour to understand the motives which made possible the leap from a foreign policy which was based on practicability and modesty to a post-9/11 foreign policy agenda in which the promotion of democracy in the Great Middle East is the touch stone. Our reference will be the two terms of G.W. Bush administration – 2001-08 – and we will analyze both the President and the Vulcans’ positions and ideas. In order to accomplish that goal we will take into account the schools in foreign policy and measure their influence on the “Bush Doctrine” conception. We will attempt to prove that the terrorist attacks, the neoconservatism, the American nationalism, as well as the concept of American exceptionalism were all heavy reasons for the role of the United States as a tool for liberal change in the world.

Date of Award	2012
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Miguel Monjardino (Supervisor) & Mónica Dias (Supervisor)