Non-Material Elements of Power in Recent US Foreign Policy

Abstract

As the Obama presidency draws to its close, it is time for summarizing and evaluating this particular era of U.S. foreign policy – and for looking at what may lie ahead. We aim to do so in light of power concepts that address non-material elements of power rather than focusing on single policy areas or geographic regions. Therefore, our panel assesses Obama’s foreign policy in the light of congressional assertiveness as well as deference, discourses about just war, sources of politicization and strategic narratives, among others, and delineates the relevancy of these elements of power for the future. By focusing on non-material elements of power, we contribute to sharpen these concepts as current ap-proaches to Foreign Policy Analysis on a theoretical level and at the same time provide empirical evi-dence of their significance during Obama’s tenure in the White House.

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