The influence of American exceptionalist thought on the role of the United States in the contemporary 'War on Terrorism'

For the past fifty years, many scholarly works written on the subject of the American political tradition conclude that the polity in the United States has adopted many of the mores espoused in classical liberal thought. This dissertation examines the influence of American Exceptionalist thought on American foreign policy in the age of the contemporary "War on Terrorism." The philosophy of American Exceptionalism has influenced the planning of foreign policy decisions and as part of the rhetoric used to explain those same decisions to the public. The Exceptionalist narrative has also contributed to shaping the post-September 11th relationship between the United States and the rest of the world.