The Realist Prism: Political Contests Abroad Show Limits of U.S. Power

An unfortunate legacy of America’s “sole superpower” status is the tendency to over-emphasize Washington’s agency in shaping the global environment and downplay the role of others. For instance, the Obama administration deserves a great deal of credit in changing the tone of the U.S.-Russia relationship. But also critical to the reset’s success were Ukraine’s 2010 presidential election, which took that country off the European geopolitical chessboard, and the ongoing instability in Pakistan, which made the Northern Distribution Network more vital to supplying the military mission in Afghanistan.

It may sound like a truism, but it is one that U.S. policymakers would do well to keep in mind: Domestic political factors beyond Washington’s control will continue to have an impact on the United States’ ability to achieve its objectives in vital regions around the world. ...