Berkley Center

The Berkley Center's Eric Patterson writes, in a new article in International Studies Perspectives, that President Obama has made many "promote democracy worldwide" statements that echo his predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Patterson argues that despite its distaste for anything reminiscent of the Bush era, the Obama Administration has kept many of those programs running, suggesting continuity in U.S. foreign policy. However, the lack of thoughtful analysis about what works to buttress fledgling democracies over the long-haul suggests that this Administration will make many of the same mistakes as its predecessors unless there are some course corrections.