Marketing US Foreign Policy in the MENA Region

The book examines how US media, public opinion, interest groups and think tanks respond to US Presidents’ attempts to market their foreign policies in the MENA Region. The scope of the analysis extends from the war on terror to the so-called Arab Spring. It focuses on some case studies including the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Iran nuclear deal. The book fills a gap in the literature pertaining to analyzing US foreign policy in the MENA area from a political communication perspective rather than from IR or a political-theory angle, which remains the dominant literature. In so saying, the book will appeal to students, researchers as well as thinks tanks and policy makers.

This is an innovative application of a brand personality model to political marketing. It is also an in depth examination of the impact that such a model has in a unique national polity. Kuwait makes an interesting case and one that offers the potential for replication in other places and with other systems. This is a solid piece of scholarship that includes a survey, other forms of data and an appropriate methodology. All in all, this is a well designed, well executed study that is well worth reading. 

—Ken Cosgrove, Professor of Political Science, Suffolk University, MA, Boston, USA. 

How do American presidents justify their foreign policy in the Middle East in an era of hegemonic dominance?  In this fascinating book, Touzani shows the answer is far more complicated than assumed.  They influence—and are influenced by—mass media, interest groups, and think tanks, which can dramatically shift the rhetorical strategies used by presidential doctrines.  This work is impressive in its encyclopedic scope, as it catalogs how such domestic actors worked their way into the strategic calculus of the Bush and Obama administrations.  It is a welcome addition to any library on US foreign policy in the Middle East region. 

-Sean Yom, Associate Professor of Political Science, Temple University. USA. 

After establishing the theoretical foundation for his study, and drawing heavily throughout on a very impressive array of secondary and other sources, Touzani effectively traces the interaction between communications media and the main issues of U.S. foreign policy across American administrations going back to that of U.S. President Ronald Reagan.  His chapter on interest groups deals primarily with the Israel lobby.  His final substantive chapter offers information and insight about the role of think tanks during the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.  Overall, a valuable contribution. 

—Mark Tessler, Samuel Eldersveld Collegiate Professor of Political Science. University of Michigan, USA.

Fouad Touzani is currently the founder and director of Ibn Ghazi Arabic Institute in Morocco. He has presented many research papers in many international conferences. His research interests include foreign policy, international security and political communication.