U.S. Idealism Meets Reality: Democracy Promotion in the Middle East During the George W. Bush Administration

Following September 11, 2001, democracy promotion in the Arab world became a top priority for U.S. national security. This study goes beyond simplistic condemnations of the Bush administration’s so-called imperialistic policies and highlights the complexities, competing interests, and inherent challenges of U.S. democracy promotion in a Middle Eastern context. An understanding of how U.S. policy towards the Middle East evolved after 9/11 is important because we continue to grapple with many related issues today: namely, whether and how to promote democracy in the Middle East, whether democratization is the best way to fight terrorism, how to balance short- and long-term security interests, how to engage with Islamists, and the overall repercussions of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.