Leiden University Student Repository

Pols, Xerena (2018)

United States’ foreign policy on the war on terrorism and the fluctuation of soft power: A comparison between George W. Bush and Barack Obama

Master thesis | International Relations (MA)

This thesis considered the shift of soft power of the United States in relation to the foreign policy on war on terrorism during the Bush and Obama presidency. It considered three measurements of soft power: (1) discourse in speeches regarding the war on terrorism, (2) allied support from the United Kingdom and Germany in joining three specific war on terrorism operations, (3) and polls from the United Kingdom and Germany in relation to the foreign policy on the war on terrorism. These three measurements showed a shift in soft power of the United States in relation to the war on terrorism from 2001 to 2016: in comparison to the decline of soft power during the Bush presidency, the soft power was rising during the Obama presidency.

soft power

war on terrorism

Obama

Bush

Author

Pols, Xerena

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

International Studies

Supervisors

Foulon, M.W.B.

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en