The Future of US Foreign Policy DANIEL W. DREZNER ARTIKEL /ARTICLES Introduction It would appear that Americans are now disenchanted with neo-conser­vatism as a foreign-policy doctrine. Five years ago, the idea of muscular, unilaterally-imposed democratization was believed to resonate with American values in a post-9/11 world. This is no longer the case. In Oc­tober 2006, a Public Agenda poll found that 83% of Americans are wor­ried about the way things are going for the United States in world affairs. Their new»Anxiety Indicator« found that»a significant majority of the public is feeling anxious and insecure about the country’s place in the world.« Iraq – an obsession of neo-conservatives for over a decade now – is obviously a major cause of this discontent. In November 2006, a cbs News poll found three-quarters of Americans disapproving of the Presi­dent’s handling of Iraq; only 4% of those surveyed supported staying the course. The 2007»surge« has had little effect on public opinion: by the summer of 2007, the majority of Americans disapproved of us policy in Iraq and the us -led global war on terrorism. 1 The disillusionment with neo-conservatism is not merely a rejection of President George W. Bush. Senator John McCain, the 2008 presiden­tial candidate most closely associated with neo-conservatism, was consid­ered the gop frontrunner a year ago. Since then, McCain has been hem­orrhaging staff and money as his popular support has plummeted. One of the triggers of this collapse was an ill-advised April 2007 stroll through a Baghdad marketplace, after which his claims about improved security rang hollow. 2 The more McCain associated himself with the invasion of Iraq, the worse his campaign performed. 1. http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/ssi/polls/postpoll_072307.html, accessed July 2007. 2. Jonathan Alter,»McCain’s Meltdown,« April 16, 2007. Accessed at http://www. msnbc.msn.com/id/17995774/site/newsweek/page/0/, July 2007. ipg 1/2008 Drezner, US Foreign Policy 11