| ID | 101747 |
| Title Proper | Ideas, tradition and norm entrepreneurs |
| Other Title Information | retracing guiding principles of foreign policy in Blair and Chirac's speeches on Iraq |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Bratberg, Oivind |
| Publication | 2011. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The significance of ideas to foreign policy analysis remains contested, despite a plethora of empirical studies applying ideational frameworks. Drawing on social constructivism, this article proposes a causal understanding where ideas derived from tradition define the political space for contemporary debates and effect foreign policy behaviour. This ideational approach is substantiated by a historical study of guiding principles in British and French foreign policy, which establish a set of baseline expectations for the analysis of Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac's speeches on Iraq. The empirical study shows that whereas Chirac largely stayed within a French ideational framework, Blair applied a more complex combination of ideas from both traditions. Conceptualising Blair as an aspiring (but ultimately unsuccessful) norm entrepreneur is a fruitful interpretation of this role. |
| `In' analytical Note | Review of International Studies Vol. 37, No. 1; Jan 2011: p327-348 |
| Journal Source | Review of International Studies Vol. 37, No. 1; Jan 2011: p327-348 |
| Key Words | Iraq - Foreign Policy ; Britain - Foreign Policy ; Blair ; Chirac ; Iraq |