Discovering ‘Referent Object(s)’ and ‘Existential Threat(s)’ in the Public Speeches of the USA Presidents Bush and Obama (2001-2017): A Securitization Theory Perspective

Abstract

This research examines the War on Terror policies by the selected public speeches of the two former Presidents of the USA, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, with the object of discovering the referent object(s) and existential threat(s) – the two significant aspects of securitization theory. The process of securitization of Muslim communities, which expanded in parallel with the war on terror policy followed by the Bush and Obama administrations in the USA after September 11, has also been examined. The study claims that the concepts of referent objects and existential threats had realized through discursive political practices of the Presidents. The study finds that President Bush mobilized public opinion against different people, groups, terrorist organizations, and nations by securitizing them. In contrast, President Obama securitized some terrorist groups while seeking to desecuritize a previously securitized but less serious issue.