Result of Next Presidential Vote to Change US Foreign Policy: American Commentator

“US foreign policy will change a great deal following the next election no matter who is elected. There is little support in the US to increase the American footprint in the Middle East or to expand US power in the Asian theater,” Robert Brigham, a professor at Vassar College in New York, told the Tasnim News agency.

A specialist in US foreign policy, Brigham teaches a range of courses covering negotiations to end deadly conflict, human rights, international relations, as well as the history of the Vietnam War.

Following is the full text of the interview:

Q: Do you believe that the outcome of the forthcoming US presidential election will change its foreign policy towards the world, the Middle East region in particular?

A: US foreign policy will change a great deal following the next election no matter who is elected. There is little support in the US to increase the American footprint in the Middle East or to expand US power in the Asian theater. US assets are indeed being transferred to the Pacific, but the real game changer there is the US reliance on regional partners to counter China's rising power.

The president, whoever it is, is going to be constrained in foreign policy by tight budgets and little support for US ground troops to support vague foreign policy goals.

Q: Iran’s 5th Assembly of Experts and 10th parliamentary elections were held simultaneously on February, 2016. Can we consider the results of the twin votes game changers that could further affect the regional developments?

A: The election of moderates in Iran went a long way to convincing Americans that Iran is a good partner in the region. It may have some impact on the Saudi-Iranian balance that some policy makers try to strike in developing US foreign policy in the Middle East.
Most foreign policy experts in the US have applauded the latest Iranian election results.