Hope, Change, Pragmatism: Analyzing Obama’s Grand Strategy

132 Pages·2016·2.39 MB·English

by  Jacob Shively (auth.)

HOPE, CHANGE,
PRAGMATISM
Analyzing Obama’s
Grand Strategy
Jacob Shively
Hope, Change, Pragmatism

Jacob   Shively
Hope, Change,
Pragmatism
Analyzing Obama’s Grand Strategy
Jacob   Shively
University of West Florida
Pensacola, Florida, USA
ISBN 978-1-137-57697-2 ISBN 978-1-137-57699-6 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-57699-6
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016947277
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For Gen. “If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.”
There. I said it.
And for Elam, Jude, Eve, and Aver. I hope you like books. At this rate,
they will be your only inheritance.
Finally, for Anne Leahy and Ramona Shively. Your families are
immeasurably blessed.

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to Alexandra Dauler and Elaine Fan for their editorial sup-
port and assistance on this project, and thanks to the Palgrave Pivot edito-
rial board for its interest and encouragement. I am also grateful to Colin
Dueck and Henry R. Nau for their comments on an early draft chap-
ter at the 2014 American Political Science Association conference and
to William R. Thompson for overseeing the development of some key
concepts that I have been able to deploy in a new project. My colleagues
Michelle Williams and Jocelyn Evans also provided invaluable feedback
early in this project’s formative days. None of this would have been pos-
sible, though, without the research assistance of Janine Velez-Vasquez,
Daniel Dorman, Chris Bryson, and Taylor Wantje. Thank you! In addi-
tion, I appreciate Alfred Cuzán and David Ramsey for curating a wealth of
insight and wisdom just beyond my door. I also want to recognize Brock
Walker for general inspiration and intellectual provocation. And though
an old trope, it is nonetheless true: thanks Dad and Mom for doing a
good job.
vii

C
ONTENTS
1 Introduction 1
2 Hope, Change, Pragmatism 25
3 Reluctant Revolutionary 4 7
4 Holding the Line 77
5 Pragmatic Internationalism 1 01
Index 1 19
ix