The Bush Doctrine is dead! At least that’s what critics hope. But while new U.S. national security challenges emerge, many post-9/11 threats still persist and the policies of George W. Bush offer one set of strategic answers for how President Obama can confront those dangers. Neither a polemic nor a whitewash, this book provides a careful analysis of the Bush Doctrine—its development, application, and rationale—and assesses its legacy: How will Obama respond to the many foreign policy challenges that await him?
Through an examination of psychology as much as policy, Renshon gives us the first comparative analysis of the Bush Doctrine and the developing Obama Doctrine. The book analyzes the range of national security issues Obama will face and the political divisions that permeate U.S. national security debates. It is essential reading for anyone looking to understand how presidents assess security risks generally and how Obama specifically is likely to adapt the Bush Doctrine to his own worldview.
Author(s): Stanley A. Renshon
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 308
Book Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 10
Acknowledgments......Page 14
1 The Obama Presidency and the World he Inherits......Page 18
Part I The Bush Doctrine Reconsidered......Page 42
2 The Evolution of a Post-9/11 National Security Perspective......Page 44
3 The Real Bush Doctrine......Page 55
4 The Bush Doctrine: Myths and Criticisms......Page 74
Part II The Strategic World after 9/11......Page 98
5 The New Calculus of Risk......Page 100
6 Deterrence, Containment and Adversarial Bargaining Post-9/11: North Korea and Iran......Page 121
7 Dangerous Threats and the Use of Force......Page 141
8 Strategic Options and the Future of the Bush Doctrine......Page 163
Part III The Politics of Post-9/11 National Security......Page 182
9 The Politics of Risk Assessment......Page 184
10 The Politics of Post-9/11 National Security: A Profound Worldview Divide......Page 200
11 Obama’s National Security Tasks: Worldview, Leadership and Judgment......Page 216
Notes......Page 241
Bibliography......Page 283
Index......Page 300
