Since 1986, Congress has required each president to write a national security strategy. How has this security document changed over the years, especially in response to major events like the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001? Under President George W. Bush, America's 43rd President (2001-2009), was transformed into a wartime President in the aftermath of the airborne terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The events of September 11, 2001, set in motion sweeping changes to U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism practices, launched two major wars, and altered the course of American foreign policy.
Twenty years ago, Americans came together – bonded by sadness and patriotism – after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But a review of public opinion and policy decisions shows that the unity and resolve that followed those attacks have waned over time. There were important gains coming out of America's post-9/11 foreign policy, but some important successes came at great strategic, material, and moral cost. Two decades ago, the deadly terror attacks on 9/11 changed nearly all aspects of American life. Culture shifted, imbued with heightened security measures and a sense of vulnerability.
Sept. 11, 2001, is one of those dates that divides history into a “before” and an “after.” The terrorist attacks that day tragically exposed the vulnerabilities of the United States and prompted a reassessment of national security priorities. Twenty years after the Iraq War began, scholarship on its causes can be usefully divided into the security school and the hegemony school. Leaders, elites, and the media may put ideas on the shelf, but that doesn't mean people will buy them. And when they do, it may often be a result of fear, uncertainty, and the need for security.