Achievements and Legacy of the Obama Presidency

Book excerpt: This book provides a broad analysis of the legacy of the Obama presidency, representing multiple perspectives across the partisan and disciplinary divides. The chapters in this book are grouped into three major legacy categories: domestic policy, foreign policy, and rhetoric. Domestically, the contributors examine the "Obama coalition" and its staying power in the age of Trump, President Obama's legacy regarding the use of executive power, his impact on intergovernmental relations, and his impact on the welfare state and education. On the foreign policy front, the central focus is on whether Obama was in fact much different from his predecessor, what impact he had on the Middle East and Afghanistan, and whether his pivot to Asia yielded the hoped-for results. The contributions in this book also aim to (re-)assess the Obama legacy in light of the subsequent efforts by his successor to undo many of the policies embraced and implemented during the Obama years. Michael Grossman is Professor of political science and international studies at the University of Mount Union, USA. Ronald Eric Matthews is Assistant Professor of political science at Notre Dame College in Cleveland, USA. Francis Schortgen is Professor of political science and international studies as well as business at the University of Mount Union, USA.