Student Scholars Day

Small Group Theory and the Bush Administration's Decision to Invade Iraq (2003)

Kirkhof Center 2266

On March 19th, 2003 George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States of America invaded the sovereign nation of Iraq. I seek not to examine the military operation to overthrow the regime of Sadam Hussein, nor will I examine the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Instead, I will analyze the decision making process of the Bush administration to invade Iraq from September 12th 2001 to March 19th 2003. The existing scholarship on this topic tends to focus on the individual and unit level of analysis. I will instead focus on the small group level of analysis, applying theories of groupthink and newgroup syndrome to help dissect the decision making process of President Bush, his closest advisors, and cabinet members. The purpose of this case study is to examine the aforementioned decision by the Bush administration upon the eve of its tenth anniversary, in the hope that current policy makers will recognize the implications of groupthink and newgroup syndrome.