A Comparative Approach to the National Security Strategies of Bush, Obama, and Trump: Counterterrorism and Strategic Multilateralism

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate in International Relations, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

A comparative approach in foreign policy is shaped by the perceptual, strategic, and behavioral indicators of decision-makers. Like other countries, U.S. foreign policy in the early years of the twenty-first century has indicated traces of both continuity and change. Given that international politics during this period has evolved within a framework of chaotic politics, the behavioral patterns of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump reflect greater changes compared to any other historical era. The signs of change and continuity are particularly evident in the U.S. strategies, behavioral patterns, and regional policies in the twenty-first century. This article seeks to answer the question: What are the defining features of the comparative U.S. foreign policy approach in the twenty-first century, and what strategic and regional changes emerged during the administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump? The central hypothesis is that although the foundational principles of the U.S. strategy in terms of territorial security, economic welfare, and humanitarian values have remained relatively constant, the strategic orientations of each president diverged significantly. Bush pursued a doctrine of preemptive security; Obama emphasized strategic balancing; and Trump prioritized the expansion of national power and the internal consolidation of the American social structure, driven by unilateralist imperatives. The analysis employs the realist paradigm to interpret the data.

Keywords

References

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Political Science
Volume 27, Issue 4 - Serial Number 108
October 2024
Pages 222-249

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