American Nationalism and U.S. Foreign Policy from September 11 to the Iraq War.

The article presents information on nationalism in the U.S. and discusses foreign policy of the U.S. from the time of the terrorist attacks of the September 11, 2001 to the Iraq War, 2003. The author of the article Paul T. McCartney argues that enduring nationalist themes provided the basic structure in which citizens of the U.S. organized their comprehension of and reaction to terrorist attacks. In addition, by employing the legitimating power of nationalism to furnish the "official" interpretation of September 11, U.S. President George W. Bush was able to provide a context in which citizens of the U.S. could understand and accept a set of foreign policy goals far broader and more ambitious than a simple response to the immediate attacks would have suggested.