The Iranian Hostage Crisis

Paper Summary:

In the article the writer provides a comparative analysis of the 1979 Iranian hostage situation in which the dueling foreign policy conceits of Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter came to the fore. The paper argues that, whereas Carter favored a more subtle approach, Reagan used bellicose statements and grand pronouncements to suggest that American power, called into question by Carter's hesitant leadership, was as strong as ever. The paper also examines the US willingness (under Reagan) to trade arms for hostages and/or for the protection of American interests in the Middle East.

From the Paper:

"Comparing and contrasting the Iranian hostage crisis policies of the Carter and Reagan administrations reveals a veritable host of contrasts between Republicans and Democrats, especially in terms of their contrasting political ideologies, foreign policy agendas, and respective self-images. The responses of Carter and Reagan to the Iranian hostage crisis also demonstrated the significant impact foreign crises have on domestic electoral politics, for both men understood that the responses they advocated would have a decisive effect on the 1980 presidential election. To fully appreciate the situation confronting both men in 1980, it is necessary to understand the world as it stood at the dawn of the 1980s. By 1980, America was confronted with a crisis of confidence."

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