Building broad coalitions

Abstract Chapter 6 uses original archival research to explore the development of White House communication strategies in two cases: the 1991 Persian Gulf War, representing a security intervention, and the Clinton administration’s policy towards Bosnia from 1993 to 1995, representing a humanitarian intervention. The Gulf War case evaluates and establishes the validity of the argument, providing evidence that domestic political incentives shaped White House communication strategies in an actual case of intervention. The Bosnian conflict then establishes the scope of the argument, revealing that the domestic coalition logic remains relevant in cases of humanitarian intervention. Investigating communications memos, speech drafts, and other primary sources from the archives, the chapter sheds light on how leaders perceive public opinion, understand the importance of humanitarian justifications, and acknowledge the limits of what their speeches can accomplish.