Since September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush has pledged rhetorically to make the promotion of democracy abroad a central objective of American foreign policy. All of his major foreign policy speeches after September have emphasized the moral and strategic imperatives for advancing freedom around the world. In parallel to Bush's new stated commitment to promoting democracy, the United States has become less liked and less admired by both governments and societies around the world. Bush's most important foreign policy initiative-the invasion of Iraq-is extremely unpopular in both democratic and non-democratic states. It is difficult to identify a time in American history when the United States has suffered such a low international standing.