Leiden University Student Repository

Milzkott, Antonia (2020)

Democracy Promotion of the United States in Iraq after 9/11: Boon or Bane?

Bachelor thesis | International Studies (BA)

This thesis identifies three criteria to determine when democracy promotion succeeds. These criteria will then be applied to the case study of United States’ democracy promotion in Iraq after 9/11. In the following chapters, this thesis argues that democracy cannot just be planted somewhere and thrive, but that it is a long and complex process that requires a civil society which is supportive of democracy. The US approach to democracy promotion in Iraq was deeply flawed – not taking into account the local realities of a deeply divided society. American assumptions that civil society could be developed smoothly and without problems proved false in Iraq, a country which has virtually no experience with democracy. Furthermore, this thesis will argue that Iraq was not receptive to democracy because of historical experiences, low American credibility and general anti-Western sentiments (as a result of British colonial rule and prior American interventionism in the Middle East).

democracy promotion

United States foreign policy

Iraq War

Middle East

Author

Milzkott, Antonia

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

North America

Supervisors

Regilme, Salvador Santino

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en