Political Communication Scholar Paul Turpin Discusses Obama’s and Romney’s Economic Philosophies and Their Effects on Foreign Policy

Following the third Obama-Romney debate, Professor and Political Communication scholar Dr. Paul Turpin gave a presentation and Q&A on October 23 at AGS on understanding the background of the candidates’ economic philosophies and their influence on international policy.

Dr. Turpin gave an overview of the history of modern political economy to distinguish Barack Obama’s modern-liberal philosophy that mixes government regulation with market economics from Mitt Romney’s classical-liberalism (19th century style) that promotes a more laissez-faire policy and seeks to shrink welfare and regulation. These domestic policy orientations affect foreign policy positions because they influence how each candidate is likely to view the motivations of other nations.

Turpin explained, “This is the clearest contrast in recent electoral history showing the differences in economic philosophy between the candidates, and understanding the basic history of modern economic thought helps distinguish the market-cautious stance of modern liberalism from the market-cheerleading stance of classical liberalism that characterizes U.S. conservatives.” He observed: “While Barack Obama’s mix of internationalist and realist foreign policy stances would probably continue a similar course, a Romney presidency would probably emphasize economic austerity both at home and in foreign aid, a fairly aggressive foreign policy bolstered by higher military spending, and some waffling between a realist perspective and a revived neoconservative perspective that promotes a version of American exceptionalism last seen in the George W. Bush Presidency.”

Paul Turpin (Ph.D., University of Southern California) is Associate Professor of Communication and Senior Research Associate of the Jacoby Center for Public Service and Civic Leadership at the University of the Pacific. He uses rhetorical and cultural studies insights to research public issues at the intersection of political theory, economic theory, and ethics. His book The Moral Rhetoric of Political Economy: Justice and Modern Economic Thought (New York: Routledge, 2011) won the 2011 Top Book Award from the Communication Ethics Division of the National Communication Association.

This was the first of a series of guest presentations organized by the American Graduate School in Paris (AGS) under the name “AGS Political Reviews”. These events are targeted towards the analysis and discourse on multiple facets of politics as linked to international affairs and diplomacy. They are open to AGS students, alumni and faculty as well as outside guests upon RSVP, based on space available. Anyone interested in being informed of upcoming events may contact the American Graduate School in Paris.