Presidential Change and Foreign Policy Role Shifts: The United States at the UN, 2013-2020

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 25 Sayı: 2, 144 - 154

Burak Toygar Halistoprak , Işıl Cerem Cenker-özek

https://doi.org/10.25294/auiibfd.1702774

Öz

This paper examines how presidential change affects the United States’ (US) foreign policy role conceptions, with a particular focus on its orientation toward the Liberal International Order (LIO). Conventional assumptions in International Relations literature suggest that the US, as both the founder and also the defender of the LIO, maintains a relatively stable foreign policy posture regardless of leadership transitions (Ikenberry, 2011). Challenging this expectation, we investigate the transition between Barack Obama’s second term (2013-2016) and Donald Trump’s first term in office (2017-2020). Drawing on Role Theory, we conducted a content analysis of eight US addresses to the United Nations General Assembly, coding role conceptions into four categories: assertive, cooperative, neutral, and challenger. Our findings reveal a clear departure from cooperative foreign policy roles under the Obama administration toward challenger foreign policy roles under the Trump administration. This shift underscores that presidential leadership can significantly influence the US’ stance toward the LIO, challenging the expectations of continuity of foreign policy across the US presidents. By analyzing the frequency and distribution of foreign policy roles elaborated discursively over time, this study highlights the importance of leadership styles and rhetorical choices in shaping grand foreign policy orientations. The findings contribute to debates about the resilience of the LIO and the extent to which domestic political change can influence global order commitments.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) , Role Theory , United States Foreign Policy , Content Analysis , Liberal International Order

Destekleyen Kurum

TÜBİTAK

Proje Numarası

221K029

Teşekkür

This research was supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)’s 1001 program, under the project number 221K029. The authors would like to express their gratitude to the project assistants Dr. Emre Erdemir, Yağmur Yetimoğlu, Ayşe Serra Ünaldı, and Çağrı Çimen for their research assistance during the data collection and coding processes.

Başkanlık Değişimi ve Dış Politika Rolleri: BM Kürsüsü'nde Amerika Birleşik Devletleri, 2013-2020

Öz

Bu makale, başkan değişiminin Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nin (ABD) dış politika rol tasavvurlarını nasıl etkilediğini, özellikle de ülkenin Liberal Uluslararası Düzen’e (Liberal International Order-LIO) yönelik tutumu bağlamında incelemektedir. Uluslararası İlişkiler literatüründeki yaygın varsayımlar, ABD’nin LIO’nun hem kurucusu hem de savunucusu olarak, liderlik değişimlerinden bağımsız biçimde görece istikrarlı bir dış politika duruşunu sürdürdüğünü öne sürmektedir (Ikenberry, 2011). Makalede bu beklenti sorunsallaştırılmakta ve Barack Obama’nın ikinci başkanlık dönemi (2013-2016) ile Donald Trump’ın ilk başkanlık dönemi (2017-2020) mercek altına alınmaktadır. Makale, Rol Kuramı’ndan hareketle, ABD’nin Birleşmiş Milletler Genel Kurulu’nda gerçekleştirdiği sekiz konuşmanın içerik analizini yapmakta ve dış politika rol tasavvurlarını dört kategoriye ayırarak kodlamaktadır: iddialı, işbirlikçi, nötür ve meydan okuyucu. Bulgularımız, Obama döneminde baskın olan işbirlikçi rollerden, Trump döneminde giderek artan biçimde meydan okuyan rollere doğru bir geçiş olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Bu geçiş, başkan değişiminin ABD’nin LIO’ya yönelik tutumunu önemli ölçüde şekillendirebileceğini ve başkanlar arası dış politika sürekliliğine dair varsayımların sorgulanması gerektiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Zaman içinde dış politika rol dağılımlarını ve sıklığını analiz eden bu çalışma, liderlik tarzlarının ve söylemsel tercihlerin dış politikanın büyük stratejik yönelimlerini nasıl etkilediğine dikkat çekmektedir. Bulgular, LIO’nun dayanıklılığına dair tartışmalara ve iç politikadaki değişimlerin küresel düzen taahhütlerini ne ölçüde etkileyebileceğine ilişkin literatüre katkı sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Dış Politika Analizi (DPA) , Rol Kuramı , Amerika Birleşik Devletleri Dış Politikası , İçerik Analizi , Liberal Uluslararası Düzen

Destekleyen Kurum

TÜBİTAK

Proje Numarası

221K029

Teşekkür

Bu araştırma TÜBİTAK 1001 programı çerçevesinde, 221K029 proje numarası ile desteklenmiştir. Yazarlar veri toplama ve kodlama sürecindeki yardımları nedeniyle proje asistanları Dr. Emre Erdemir, Yağmur Yetimoğlu, Ayşe Serra Ünaldı ve Çağrı Çimen’e teşekkürlerini sunar.

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