The Obama Presidency and the Politics of Change

"This fine volume - the work of both established and younger scholars from the UK, continental Europe, and the United States, all of them connected to the UK's American Politics Group - is a standout contribution to our growing understanding of Barack Obama's presidency. Splendidly edited and organized, it sustains a clear and coherent framework in covering a broad range of political, social, economic and international issues that rose to the fore during Obama's tenure. Wisely eschewing a grand narrative in favour of assessing the nuances and complexity of a consequential presidency, it is nevertheless persuasive in its assessment that Barack Obama's time in office could well have transformative significance for the future development of twenty-first century America. This is a book that deserves to be read by both scholars and students of American politics." (Iwan Morgan, Professor of US Studies, UCL, and author of "Reagan: American Icon" (2016))

This edited volume considers the extent to which the Obama presidency matched the promises of hope and change that were held out in the 2008 election.This edited volume considers the extent to which the Obama presidency matched the promises of hope and change that were held out in the 2008 election. Contributors assess the character of “change” and, within this context, survey the extent to which there was enduring change within particular policy areas, both domestic and foreign. The authors combine empirical detail with more speculative assessment of the limits and possibilities of change amidst a very dense institutional landscape and in an era of intense political polarization. Some see significant changes, the full consequences of which may only be evident in later years. Other authors in the collection present a markedly different picture and suggest that processes of change were not only limited and partial but at times leading the US in directions far removed from the promises of 2008. The book will make an important contribution to the debates about the Obama legacy.