Varieties of American Exceptionalism in the Post-American World : What Obama’s ‘Leading from Behind’ Doctrine Teaches Biden (2020.12)
- Author : Su-jin Lee , Shin-wha Lee
- Publication : Journal of American studies
- Publisher : The American Studies Association of Korea
- Volume : 52(3)
- Date : December 2020
Abstract: President-elect Joe Biden will likely build upon Obama’s ‘leading-from-behind’ Doctrine. This paper attempts to understand whether the Biden administration will succeed, given that both the Democrats and Republicans criticized Obama’s Doctrine for eroding American exceptionalism. Prior to addressing the relationship between American exceptionalism and grand strategy, this paper identifies the defining characters of American exceptionalism and introduces the concept of ‘varieties of American exceptionalism.’ Second, this paper situates Obama’s Doctrine in the debate over U.S. grand strategy and asserts that Obama’s Doctrine promotes an evolving modus vivendi of American exceptionalism. By comparing Obama’s Doctrine with Biden’s election pledges, this paper concludes that Biden’s team can learn from Obama on how to navigate new American exceptionalism in the post-American world.