Abstract

George W. Bush launched a revolution in American foreign policy. He redefined how the United States engages in the world, shedding the constraints that friends, allies, and international institutions impose on its freedom of action. Bush's revolution began before September 11, and it was driven not by neo-conservative calls to spread democracy but traditional hard-line conservative beliefs on the need to use America's great power to defeat threats to its security. Many Americans initially embraced the revolution because it recalled older currents in U.S. foreign policy and because they doubted the effectiveness of international institutions. The aftermath of the Iraq War exposed the flaws in Bush's assumption that an America unbound would be a more secure America. He responded by making tactical changes to his policies, without abandoning his core convictions about the proper exercise of American power. Should Bush win reelection? A big if? He will approach foreign policy much as he did during his first term.