ABSTRACT
The following essay will examine the inter-and intra-branch dynamics of the United States political system that relate to Washington’s policy toward Iraq. According to LeLoup and Shull, the question of whether President and Congress are able to exert in uence depends on such factors as the domestic political climate, public expectations, the result of presidential and congressional elections, as well as the in uence of interest groups, intra-executive dynamics and the speci c content of the policies formulated by the White House.1 This paper will therefore focus on the politics of the run-up and aftermath of the U.S.-led regime change in Iraq rather than on the respective policies themselves.
