"In Barack Obama and the Arab Spring: A Successful Balancing Act of Foreign Policy and Diplomacy, Ahmed Y. Zohny develops a well-blended marriage of history and political theories of U.S. foreign policy, diplomacy, public diplomacy, and national security"--.

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1: Conceptual Framework
  • Introduction
  • The Meaning of the Arab Spring
  • Why the Name “Arab Spring”?
  • Conceptual Framework
  • Presidential Powers and Constraints
    • The Relationship among IR, Foreign Policy, and PD
    • How IR Scholarship Indulge Foreign Policy, and PD?
  • How IR Treats PD
    • Diplomacy
    • Defining PD and Its Scope
    • PD during Wars
    • The Intermestic Politics
  • The Rise of Political Islam on the World’s Stage
    • Definition of Political Islam
  • The Impact of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on the United States
    • The Challenge of Democratization and the Compatibility of Islam with Democracy
    • Barriers to Political Development and Democracy
    • Political Development Stages
    • The Soft State
  • Is Islam Compatible with Democracy?
  • Research Approach and Limitation
  • Organization of the Book
  • Notes
• Chapter 2: The Evolution of U.S. Foreign Policy and Diplomacy toward the Middle East
  • Idealism’s Perception of International Relations
    • Main Features of Idealism14
    • Realism’s Perception of International Relations
    • Main Features of Political Realism17
    • American National Interest
  • U.S. Foreign Policy and Diplomacy toward the Middle East
  • September 11, 2001, Attack on the United States
    • Combating Terror as a First Priority
    • Preventive Warfare, Not Preemptive Strategy
    • More Demands for Humanitarian Assistance
    • Provocative Allies
    • War Tiredness
    • The Unique American Setting of Foreign Policy and Diplomacy
    • The Informal (Political) Powers of the Presidency
    • Presidential Constraints
  • Barack Obama’s Election
  • Notes
• Chapter 3: The Interrelationship between Domestic and Foreign Policy: The Intermestic Politics
  • Tolerance of Interference and the Intermestic Politics
  • The Compatibility of U.S. and Israel National Interest in the Middle East
  • Historical Development of Intermestic Politics in Favor of Israel
  • Transforming Israel from Liability to Strategic Asset in the Middle East
  • Obama and the Realities of the Special U.S.-Israeli Relations
  • Summary of U.S. National Interests at Stake
    • Vital Interests
    • Extremely Important
    • Important
    • First Issue: The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process
    • Second Issue: Pursuing Negotiation with Iran to Limit Their Capability to Produce Nuclear Capability
  • Notes
• Chapter 4: The Rise of Political Islam at the World Stage
  • U.S. Foreign Policy and Diplomacy during Bush’s Administration
  • The Resurgence of Political Islam
    • The Rise of Islamists as Power in the International System
    • Collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the Resurgence of Political Islam’s as a Unifying Force
    • The Cold War as a Catalyst for Promoting Radical Jihadism and Political Islam
    • Islamic Revivalism and Modernism
  • Obama’s Foreign Policy Shifts from the Bush Administration
    • First Shift
    • Second Shift
  • Obama’s Public Diplomacy Shift from the Bush Administration
  • Notes
• Chapter 5: The Challenge of Democratization and the Compatibility of Islam and Democracy
  • Barack Obama and the Challenge of Democratization in the Middle East.
    • Resistance to Democratization in the Middle East
    • Political Participation in the Arab Muslim Countries
    • Why Is Participation Difficult even After Independence?
    • The Neosultanistic Regimes of the Arab Countries
    • Representative Organizations
    • Transformation to a Civil Society.
    • The Informal Realm of Participation
    • The Arab’s Perception of George Bush’s Program of Democracy Promotion
    • The Compatibility of Islam with Democracy!
    • Obama’s Position from this Debate
  • Notes
• Chapter 6: Obama’s Response to Secular Arab Spring’s States: Tunisia, Egypt, and Bahrain
  • Obama’s Repairing the Damage
  • The Unexpected Events of the Arab Spring
    • Case One: Tunisia Starts the Arab Spring
    • Chronology of Events
  • Criticism of U.S. Diplomatic Reaction
    • First Group of Analysts
    • Second Group of Analysts
    • Case Two: Egypt
    • Chronology of Events
    • U.S. Diplomatic Reaction to Egypt’s Events, and the Limits of Leverage
  • Criticism to U.S. Diplomatic Reaction
    • First Group of Analysts
    • Second Group of Analysts
    • Case Three: Bahrain
    • 2011 Uprising: Origin, Developments, and Prognosis
    • Crown Prince Salman’s “Seven Principles” Reform Plan
    • Chronology of Events
    • U.S. Diplomatic Reaction
  • Criticism to U.S. Diplomatic Reaction
    • First Group of Analysts
    • Second Group of Analysts
  • Notes
• Chapter 7: Libya, Syria, and Yemen and Their Unique Characteristics
  • Case Four: Libya
    • Chronology of Events
    • U.S. Diplomatic Reaction
  • Criticism of U.S. Diplomatic Reaction
    • First Group of Analysts
    • Second Group of Analysts
    • Case Five: Syria
    • Chronology of Events
    • U.S. Diplomatic Reaction:
  • Criticism to U.S. Diplomatic Reaction
    • First Group of Analysts
    • Second Group of Analysts
    • Case Six: Yemen
    • Chronology of Events
    • U.S. Diplomatic Response
  • Criticism of U.S. Diplomatic Response
    • First Group of Analysts
    • Second Group of Analysts
  • Notes
• Chapter 8: Obama’s Use of U.S. Power and Diplomacy
  • Constitutional Provision of Presidential Powers
  • The Arab Spring
  • The Arab Spring and its Controversies
  • Israel-Palestine Conflict
  • Troop Withdrawal from Iraq
  • Combating Islamic State
  • Democracy Promotion
  • Drone Strikes
  • Guantanamo Closure
  • Outreach and Negotiation with Iran
  • Obama’s Scope of Public Diplomacy
    • Obama’s Softening Rhetoric
    • Obama’s Interfaith Dialogue
    • Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship
    • Obama’s Science and Technology Envoy
    • Public Diplomacy of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry
    • Exercising Presidential Powers
    • Democracy Promotion
  • Notes
• Chapter 9: Judging Obama’s Foreign Policy and Diplomacy toward the Arab Spring
  • How Obama’s Foreign Policy Can Be Judged
  • Obama’s Exercise of Presidential Powers
  • Obama’s Public Diplomacy
  • Concluding Remarks
  • Notes
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Author