Welcome to world politics, Mr. Obama
Culture11 is hosting a bunch of international relations geeks experts on the foreign policy environment that Barack Obama faces as he assumes the presidency. They asked for my take — here’s my closing: [T]he trend line is disturbing. The distribution of power is shifting away from the United States. The distribution of preferences is also shifting ...
Culture11 is hosting a bunch of international relations geeks experts on the foreign policy environment that Barack Obama faces as he assumes the presidency. They asked for my take -- here's my closing: [T]he trend line is disturbing. The distribution of power is shifting away from the United States. The distribution of preferences is also shifting away from America. The Washington Consensus is a dead letter, and American values seem less enticing than they did a decade ago. Simply put, at the end of 2008 the United States generated less respect, less influence, less goodwill, less standing, and less relative power in world politics than it did at any time during the post-Cold War era. It is difficult for a single administration to beat back these kind of gale-wind structural forces. It is worth remembering, however, that five years ago the foreign policy discourse was all about the unprecedented agglomeration of American power. The best thing an Obama administration can do is avoid further overextension – with luck, the “soft power” bump that Obama’s election might generate will provide cover the retrenchment of hard power resources. These resources should be devoted to boosting America’s economic productivity, innovation, and infrastructure. Historically, America’s comparative advantage has been its ability to respond more nimbly to crises than other countries in the world. We’ll see if that historical generality holds for the near future as well. Be sure to check out Dan Nexon's take as well. And, if you want some escape from international relations, Kyle Smith has a sharp essay explaining why 30 Rock is such a subversive and effective takedown of Sex and the City.
Culture11 is hosting a bunch of international relations geeks experts on the foreign policy environment that Barack Obama faces as he assumes the presidency. They asked for my take — here’s my closing:
[T]he trend line is disturbing. The distribution of power is shifting away from the United States. The distribution of preferences is also shifting away from America. The Washington Consensus is a dead letter, and American values seem less enticing than they did a decade ago. Simply put, at the end of 2008 the United States generated less respect, less influence, less goodwill, less standing, and less relative power in world politics than it did at any time during the post-Cold War era. It is difficult for a single administration to beat back these kind of gale-wind structural forces. It is worth remembering, however, that five years ago the foreign policy discourse was all about the unprecedented agglomeration of American power. The best thing an Obama administration can do is avoid further overextension – with luck, the “soft power” bump that Obama’s election might generate will provide cover the retrenchment of hard power resources. These resources should be devoted to boosting America’s economic productivity, innovation, and infrastructure. Historically, America’s comparative advantage has been its ability to respond more nimbly to crises than other countries in the world. We’ll see if that historical generality holds for the near future as well.
Be sure to check out Dan Nexon’s take as well. And, if you want some escape from international relations, Kyle Smith has a sharp essay explaining why 30 Rock is such a subversive and effective takedown of Sex and the City.
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
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