The U nited S tates and B ahrain: Interpreting the Differentiated U . S . Responses to the A rab S pring

We examine how the U nited S tates' response to the situation in B ahrain can be differentiated from that in L ibya and E gypt based on a comparative content analysis of the U . S . administration's press releases, remarks, and interviews during the first three months of the A rab S pring movement. Our findings indicate that although the level and duration of violence were comparable, the U . S . government response was strikingly different with the support given to the B ahraini government, in contrast to the critical stances adopted towards L ibya and E gypt. We explain how the U nited S tates' lack of political incentive to act and concerted support by its allies were influential factors for the U nited S tates' differentiated policy during the A rab S pring.