The Impact of the Armenian Lobby on American Foreign Policy on the Development of Section 907 from 1992 to 2002: Possibilities and Limits of Ethnic Lobbies Within US Legislative Process

Bachelor thesis deals with the impact of ethnic lobbies on US Foreign policy, its aim is to find out by which mechanisms and to which extent can ethnic lobbies really exert their influence on American legislative process. In order to achieve that the thesis examines the influence of the Armenian lobby on US Foreign policy on the development of Section 907, an amendment of Freedom Support Act, in the period from 1992 to 2002. The amendment was accepted thanks to broad activities of the Armenian lobby in 1992. However, it was waived already in 2002 due to fundamental geopolitical changes and in spite of active efforts of the lobby. In order to understand deep processes leading up to these two important milestones of Armenian lobby influence, the thesis is divided into three chapters. Whereas the first one examines the specific development of Armenian community in the USA leading up to the unique structure of two completely independent, yet at the same time highly effective, interest groups, the second and the third one offer a detailed analysis of Section 907. Both chapters consequently focus on the processes leading up to its approval and waiver as well as mechanisms, by which the Armenian lobby tried to exert its influence within American Congress. The conclusion of the thesis summarizes its main..