Hearts and Minds: US Foreign Policy and Anti-Americanism in the Middle EastAn Analysis of Public Perceptions from 2002-2011

The literature on anti-Americanism in the Middle East suggests that there is a strong relationship between US foreign policy and public attitudes of the United States in the region. This study analyzes Middle Eastern public opinion of the United States from 2002 until 2011, while using quantitative and qualitative analysis to determine whether US foreign policy in the Middle East correlates with approval levels of the United States. The purpose of this study was to determine if US foreign policy measures such as US support for oppressive regimes, US support for Israel, and US intervention in domestic affairs affects the way in which the average Middle Eastern publics view the United States. This study finds that there were quantitative and qualitative correlations between the three independent variables and anti-Americanism levels in the Middle East with the largest drop in approval of the US coming in 2003 after the US invasion of Iraq. The case of Lebanon’s Cedar Revolution also shows an effective policy that can be applied to the regime changes caused by the “Arab Spring”.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

International and Comparative Politics

Grantor dc:publisher

Wright State University

Year dc:date

2012

Author dc:creator

• Cummins, Joshua I.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Shannon, Vaughn

• International Relations
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Middle East
• Public Opinion
• Anti-Americanism
• US Foreign Policy
• US Support for Oppressive Regimes
• US Support for Israel
• US intervention in the Middle East
• Quantitative Study
• Qualitative Study

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1366212110

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:wright1366212110