The Problem of Overextension: Analyzing America’s Black Sea Policies through Jentleson’s 4 Ps Framework

Abstract

Historically, the U.S. strategy in the Black Sea region has been stable, limited, and not ambitious as American administrations prioritized certain foreign policy objectives over other interests. This careful strategy was transformed during the Clinton Administration in the mid-1990s as the U.S. started following an extensive foreign policy framework, which included all American national interests, formulated by Bruce Jentleson in his 4Ps framework: power, peace, prosperity, and principles. The article argues that this transformation was problematic because of two obstacles –the illusion of the unipolar moment and the growing polarization in American domestic politics– which prevented the U.S. from following an effective policy in the Black Sea region.