People Decide, Parameters Shape: US Foreign Policy Under Barack Obama

Author(s): Martin Zapfe
Editor(s): Oliver Thränert, Martin Zapfe
Series Editor(s): Andreas Wenger
Book Title: Strategic Trends 2014: Key Developments in Global Affairs
Series: Strategic Trends
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zürich
Publication Year: 2014
Publication Place: Zurich

As 2014 marks the end of the longest war in US history, it is time to look at US foreign policy beyond Afghanistan. In doing so, it is imperative to differentiate between the people who decide and the parameters that shape these decisions. Under President Barack Obama, with his domestic focus and aversion to grand strategies, the US has entered a phase of strategic pragmatism. This trend will persist, as three parameters continue to shape every Presidents decisions: the aftermath of the financial crisis, a US public weary of foreign wars, and the enormous shale gas revolution.

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