HAS OBAMA MADE THE WORLD A MORE

Edited by Rudyard Griffiths

The fourteenth semi-annual Munk Debate, which was held in Toronto on November 5, 2014, pitted Pulitzer Prize - winning journalist Bret Stephens and famed historian and foreign policy commentator Robert Kagan against CNN's Fareed Zakaria and noted academic and political commentator Anne-Marie Slaughter to debate the legacy of President Obama.

From Ukraine to the Middle East to China, the United States is redefining its role in international affairs. Alliance building, public diplomacy, and eschewing traditional warfare in favour of the focused use of hard power such as drones and special forces are all hallmarks of the so-called Obama Doctrine. Is this a farsighted foreign policy for the United States and the world in the twenty-first century - one that acknowledges and embraces the increasing diffusion of power among states and non-state actors? Or, is an America "leading from behind" a boon for the nations and blocs who want to roll back economic globalization, international law, and the spread of democracy and human rights?