The Politics of Intervention: An Understanding of President Obama's Foreign Policy Decision Making in Libya and Syria

Abstract

This thesis attempts to understand why President Obama chose to intervene in the humanitarian conflict of Libya and not Syria. In order to examine the foreign policy decision making of President Obama, this research analyzes the influence of five domestic and international variables which could have influenced President Obama's decision in the two cases. Through comparative analysis, this research attempts to provide a comprehensive explanation for why President Obama chose to intervene in one case and not the other and provide a better understanding for the President's foreign policy decision making more generally.