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Hope, Change, Pragmatism pp 77–99Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Holding the Line

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Abstract

The year 2014 saw challenges to the state system itself. Russia effectively annexed Crimea, while Russian nationalists in eastern Ukraine took up arms to achieve independence. The Islamic State suddenly vaulted to prominence as it seized huge swaths of territory, a move threatening to collapse Middle Eastern stability. Elsewhere, officials struggled to maintain their ambitious trade negotiations with European and Asian governments. Rather than turn to military force or confrontational rhetoric, Obama imposed sanctions and sought coalitions. This chapter builds a narrative case study evaluating the administration’s stated views and implementation of grand strategy during a tumultuous year. It reviews contemporary debates over the administration’s response, many of which suggest that Obama’s caution deepened the crises. Nevertheless, Obama’s now familiar pragmatism and deliberative style dominated policy decisions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida, USA

    Jacob Shively

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  1. Jacob Shively
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© 2016 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s)

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Shively, J. (2016). Holding the Line. In: Hope, Change, Pragmatism. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57699-6_4

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