Evaluation of Relative Importance of Democracy Promotion, Power Politics, and Oil in Determining U.S. Foreign Policy Towards Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabic After 9/11
Overview of CHAPTER I: Introduction
All governments pursue in the course of their regular activities the development and execution of foreign policies, policies ideally designed to promote the interests of the nation-state and to position it favorably with respect to its competitors or neighbors (Sodaro, 2004). By definition, foreign policy in any country tends to be formed around nationalism, defined as a consciously formulated set of political ideas that emphasize the distinctiveness and unity of the country, specifying common interests, and prescribing goals for action (Sodaro, 2004).
In the context of international affairs, foreign policies become key mechanism for structuring both bilateral and multilateral relationships between nation-states. Such policies are more than ideological positions; they are representative of the actual framework within which political, economic, cultural, diplomatic, and social interactions will occur. There are any number of theories describing the policy formation process and orientation. In this study, three theoretical perspectives will be examined with respect to their relative significance in shaping American foreign policy toward the target states of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. These are theories of American imperialism (and control of oil resources), geopolitical power strategy subsumed within the realist school of policy, and the neo-conservative democracy promotion policy perspectives. Each of these theoretical perspectives will be briefly summarized below and addressed in greater depth in subsequent chapters of this thesis.
As Sodaro (2004) has stated, governments faced with developing foreign policies are not in a position to consider each policy case separately. Rather, in developing its ove...