Introduction
President George W. Bush delivers his State of the Union address to the new Democratic-controlled Congress on Jan. 23 as criticism of his foreign policy mounts on Capitol Hill and beyond. Vice President Dick Cheney and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sit behind him. (AFP/Getty Images/Mandel Ngan)
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President Bush has instituted several fundamental changes in U.S. foreign policy, notably opting for unilateral action instead of multilateral initiatives and espousing a doctrine of preventive or preemptive war to ward off potential threats. Many Americans applauded the fortified U.S. policies in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and in the early days of the war in Iraq. With the war now in its fourth year, however, a growing number of foreign-policy experts are saying the Bush doctrines have hurt rather than helped to advance U.S. interests around the world. They want the United States to rely more on allies and multilateral institutions, discard the preventive war doctrine and be more realistic in promoting democracy abroad. Administration supporters, however, hope the president's strategy in Iraq ultimately will bring about a military and political success that will help vindicate his policies.
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