| ID | 146343 |
| Title Proper | Identity, authority, and the British War in Iraq |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Hayes, Jarrod |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Despite the lack of an obvious threat to Britain, the Blair government invaded Iraq in 2003 alongside the United States. This article draws on securitization theory and social identity approaches from social psychology to propose that the democratic political identity vested in Britain’s domestic society facilitated the Blair government’s effort to construct Iraq as a threat, but in other ways constrained the ability of the Blair government to pursue the use of force without substantial domestic political costs. Using a multimethod approach, the article examines the discourses in the lead up to the invasion to support the central argument as well as to explore the domestic security authority held by United Nations. In so doing, the article addresses not only the British case, but also larger questions regarding the factors that shape the construction of an issue as one of security and the appropriate policy responses. |
| `In' analytical Note | Foreign Policy Analysis Vol. 12, No.3; Jul 2016: p.334-353 |
| Journal Source | Foreign Policy Analysis 2016-09 12, 3 |
| Key Words | Iraq ; United States ; Authority ; Identity ; British War ; Britain’s Domestic Society |