The Americas

Six months ago Barack Obama won his second bid for the White House. In light of ongoing economic problems, however, it is unclear whether American foreign and security policy will stay on the same course. Susan McManus, professor at the University of Southern Florida joined Josef Braml, resident fellow and US expert at the DGAP’s Transatlantic Relations Program, for a discussion moderated by Thomas Gutschker, political editor of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS).

Barack Obama received a clear mandate for his second term, although he will once again be confronted with a Republican-dominated House of Representatives. “Obama’s clear victory cannot allow us to forget how deeply divided the United States is,” said Josef Braml. This division and the country’s economic problems will greatly constrict the government’s capacity to act. Josef Braml, Claudia Schmucker, and Eberhard Sandschneider assessed the results of the election and discussed its consequences with guests at the DGAP.