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Hugo Chavez and President Bush's Credibility Gap: The Struggle Against US Democracy Promotion

Longwood University, Department of History, Political Science, and Philosophy, 235 Ruffner Hall, Farmville, VA, 23909, USA, colens{at}longwood.edu

US President George W. Bush confronts a problem as he tries to promote global democracy. When he speaks about spreading freedom, many academics, world leaders, and media pundits respond that he is trying to bolster the USA's global influence. This article explores Bush's "credibility gap." It focuses on President Bush's democracy assistance in Venezuela and how it reinforces the notion that he has a legitimacy problem. This study also identifies how President Hugo Chavez has helped widen Bush's credibility gap. Finally, by using Venezuela as a case study, this article shows that Bush's lack of legitimacy limits his ability to spread democracy.

Key Words: Hugo Chavez • George W. Bush • Democracy promotion • Credibility gap

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International Political Science Review, Vol. 28, No. 4, 493-507 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0192512107079637


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Cole, N. S. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?