The US Presidential Elections and the Implications for Africa

This report summarizes a seminar hosted by the Institute for Security Studies on November 14, 2008, featuring U.S. Ambassador Eric M. Bost. The discussion focused on the 2008 U.S. presidential election of Barack Obama and the potential implications for Africa, specifically addressing the tension between global expectations of a policy shift and the likelihood of a domestic-focused U.S. agenda.

• The election of Barack Obama created global and African expectations for a paradigm shift in U.S. foreign policy, moving away from the 'politics of fear' associated with the Bush administration toward more constructive engagement.
• Ambassador Eric M. Bost suggested that the Obama administration would likely prioritize domestic challenges over international expectations, citing severe U.S. economic issues such as the loss of 1 million jobs in 2008, the highest unemployment rate in 14 years, and high foreclosure rates.
• Ambassador Bost argued that U.S. policy toward Africa and South Africa might not significantly improve because the Bush administration had already made substantial contributions, including $1.5 billion to South Africa for HIV/Aids relief over five years ($600 million in 2008 alone) and $600 million for the African Education Initiative since 2002.
• Other significant U.S. contributions to Africa under the Bush administration included $9 billion in goods via the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), with 98% being duty-free, and $1.5 billion provided to Southern African countries through the Millennium Challenge Account for democracy and conflict resolution.
• Ambassador Bost noted that Republican administrations have historically been more disposed to free trade than Democratic ones and stated that Africa received approximately $6 billion in aid under the current administration, which is six times more than since the Truman administration.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2008). The US Presidential Elections and the Implications for Africa. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/141108BOSTSEMREP.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. The US Presidential Elections and the Implications for Africa. 2008. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/141108BOSTSEMREP.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=The US Presidential Elections and the Implications for Africa |date=14 November 2008 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/141108BOSTSEMREP.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2008presidential, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{The US Presidential Elections and the Implications for Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/141108BOSTSEMREP.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }