Is U.S. identity founded on self-constructed crises? A poststructuralist approach

Abstract or Introduction

Considered the key player in global politics it does not seem surprising that international relations theory centres around the role of the United States in the international system. Following the most recent elections the world is facing a wave of insecurity with scholars and policymakers alike wondering which course the United States will take. One important tool to predict actions is the study of identity, which been neglected in traditional IR theory. Yet understanding one’s identity can provide valuable insights into the character, line of thinking and future actions. A state’s identity is intertwined with its history and the U.S. history is one of war. Over the past century there was not one major war that the United States has not been involved in. One can therefore ask if the identity of the United States is founded on conflicts which were built by the United States itself?

This essay shall apply a poststructuralist approach to this question and discuss Foucault’s ‘limit attitude’ and exclusionist thinking in relation to U.S. history and foreign policy. The author shall look at the proclaimed war on terror as one example of a conflict the United States has faced over the past years although it would go beyond the boundaries of this piece to examine the war on terror in detail. Lastly, the conclusion is drawn that U.S. identity is shaped by conflicts but it would be false to call those crises self-constructed. Instead, the particularity of U.S. history and its foundation as an immigrant state have imposed a leading role in global politics upon them to which they are trying to live up to ever since. [...]