Abstract

During the early months of his administration, President Barack Obama delivered speeches in the Czech Republic, Russia, and Ghana outlining his approach to the conduct of American foreign policy. In part, this effort was to separate his administration from that of George W. Bush, but it was also to outline how he would conduct American diplomacy during his term. Specifically, he called for coordinated actions to restore prosperity, a strengthened NATO alliance to provide security, and a “sustained effort among the American and Russian peoples to identify mutual interests” (Obama 2009a, 2009b). He also declared that the United States would work with the rest of the world as “partners” and that such partnerships would be “grounded in mutual responsibility and mutual respect” (Obama 2009c).