Meet our Newest Graduate: Paulo Veneracion!

Meet Our Newest Graduate!

Paulo Veneracion’s MA thesis was entitled “Wounded Hegemon: The 2003 Iraq War and George W. Bush’s Grand Strategy of Primacy”. It was written under the supervision of Dr. Terry Terriff.

Tell us a bit about your thesis! What was it about and what were its main arguments?

My thesis examines the underlying causes of the 2003 Iraq War. It delves into the factors at the international, domestic, and personal levels that other explanations tend to overlook. It argues that the Iraq War occurred largely as a result of post-Cold War American hegemony—or America’s political, economic, and military dominance—combined with impact of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the Bush administration and the American people. September 11 punctured American perceptions of invulnerability and generated a deep sense of fear and homeland weakness. This sense of vulnerability shed a new light on longstanding but relatively contained threats like Saddam Hussein, and meant that America’s initial response to September 11, the war in Afghanistan, would not be enough. To the Bush administration, the Iraq War would have the effect of eliminating Hussein while showing the world that America was still capable of defending itself in overwhelming fashion.

Any favourite memories from your research or at UCalgary Political Science you’d like to share?

Although there are too many to count, my most favourite memories involve hanging out and having a few drinks (sometimes more than a few!) with my fellow graduate students, especially after a long day at the TA offices. More than anything, however, I cherish the fact that I got to know better the members of the UCalgary Political Science Department—the administration staff, my fellow graduate students and teaching assistants, and my professors, many of which also taught in my undergraduate courses.

 

Where has your degree taken you now?

I currently work as a support services clerk for the RCMP, which I am very thankful for especially in these tough times. However, I plan to pursue further studies and hope to apply and get admitted to a PhD program in Political Science later this year. I am also looking at applying to other departments in the federal government with the aim of working somewhere in Ontario, hopefully while completing a doctoral program.

Any final words of advice?

My best piece of advice would be not to give up. While exciting and satisfying once completed, graduate studies combined with the complexities of life can get overwhelming at times, and knowing when to take a break and reach out to others helps a lot.

Congratulations Paulo Veneracion on your degree!

To find out more about our current and past graduate students, please visit our website!