ABSTRACT
President Barack Obama has promised to rebalance America’s War on Terror and general approach to foreign policy by shifting ideologies, approaches, and political alliances in an attempt to strengthen the United States’ weakened international image and political legitimacy. He will attempt this-or so he and his cabinet have alluded-through a return to pragmatism. This “smart power” doctrine, as announced by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is conceptually based on successfully balancing soft and hard political tactics to achieve the most pragmatic outcome in a given situation. Given the history of his predecessor it is little wonder that Obama would choose to tackle America’s image to the world. Still, with September 11 still fresh in American minds and with the lessons of Iran, North Korea and other known international disruptions present, the test for Obama is the need to address America’s falling status against very pragmatic concerns related to pariah states, terrorism, and a troubled world economy.
