Abstract
Original case studies of Progressive Caucus activism inside the Democratic Party and Congress during the Obama administration are developed in this chapter. They examine factional influence from the outside-in, including Progressive opposition to President Obama’s plan to conduct a military strike on Syria in 2013 and challenges to the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. In both cases, factions displayed resistance strategies including legislation, issue framing, and persistence, which helped build the case against these establishment initiatives.
The Assad regime’s actions in Syria are reprehensible, but it is critical that we recognize the complexity of the conflict [and] consider the potential for unintended consequences of U.S. intervention, no matter how good our intentions.
—Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) (2013)
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a disastrous trade agreement designed to protect the interests of the largest multi-national corporations at the expense of workers, consumers, the environment and the foundations of American democracy.
—Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) (2014)
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Notes
- 1.
The authors acknowledge valuable insights for this case study from Dr. Kevin Marsh.
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Homan, P., Lantis, J.S. (2020). Progressive Caucus Activism During the Obama Administration. In: The Battle for U.S. Foreign Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30171-2_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30171-2_5
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