As the US reaches an end of an era, with withdrawals in Syria and Iraq, now would be an apt time to take stock of international intervention. Studying lessons learned from previous intervention will likely improve future interventions. We began with a historical analysis of intervention in Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria, taking note of pivotal events in these countries' pasts. We then used R to visualize civilian casualties in the Iraq War, formulating a neutral perspective on its lasting effects. Finally, US engagement in these countries in the 21st century is assessed, specifically with regards to its effects on democracy promotion. It was found that despite mixed results from earlier intervention, US intervention in the 21st century has generally resulted in democracy promotion due to the negative impacts of authoritarian intervention in the absence of US intervention.

Links to Project Materials:

Maxwell School 2021, Social Science Projects 2021, 2021