The Anxiety of Ambition : How States Use Geopolitical Mythmaking as Tool for Policymaking

Abstract

This research investigates the circumstances under which revisionist states engage in geopolitical mythmaking to drive foreign policy. While traditional International Relations theories often prioritize material power, this project utilizes Constructivism and Political Psychology to argue that states like Turkey and Iran are driven by "Ontological Security"—the need to maintain a consistent national self-image. By analyzing how fears of "civilizational erasure" or "status humiliation" lead to the creation of national myths, this project contextualizes these behaviors within broader global trends of democratic backsliding and nationalist weaponization. I employ a qualitative comparative case study methodology, utilizing discourse analysis of primary rhetoric from President Erdoğan and Supreme Leader Khamenei alongside process tracing of specific policy outputs. Preliminary results indicate that doctrines like Turkey’s "Blue Homeland" and Iran’s "Axis of Resistance" function as psychological shields that prioritize "identity consistency" over economic or physical security. Ultimately, this research demonstrates that for revisionist states, "volatility" is a deliberate strategy used to reclaim perceived lost status and secure domestic legitimacy.