Abstract:
Exceptionalism has been the principal narrative of the
United States‘ foreign policy decision-making. It is the set
of beliefs and principles that envisages the country‘s
uniqueness and superiority over the rest. It has two strands:
one being its status as an exemplar state; and the other
being God‘s chosen people – the latter being the dominant
one. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) threatened
life, liberty, pursuit of happiness and freedom – far away
from the shores of the US. However, with ‗doing God‘s
work‘ underpinning its foreign policy dictates – the US
mobilised its military forces and spearheaded the campaign
to help its Middle Eastern allies in getting rid of ISIS. The
article aims to understand the basic tenets of US
exceptionalism and the intervening variables which led the
country to fight against the ISIS.
