ABSTRACT
Examining the roles and influence of ‘intellectuals’ in US foreign policy can provide an insight into the operation of power at the highest levels. In an era in which the circulation of ideas is increasingly rapid and widespread, taking the activities and interventions of intellectuals into account can be instructive in gaining an understanding of how such ideas impact upon society and what productive effects these ideas have on the making of foreign policy. In order to address this topic, this chapter develops a case study of a group of neo-conservative intellectuals active during the presidency of George W. Bush. The ways in which this group of neo-con intellectuals contributed to the development of particular narratives and ideas in the post-9/11 security environment will be explored and their influence will be shown to have been significant in three main ways vis-à-vis the decision to invade Iraq in 2003. Before this case study is examined, however, we must first explore what is meant by an ‘intellectual’, and relatedly, what kinds of influence they can be said to wield in the foreign policy-making realm.
