Abstract
On November 4th, 2008, Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States. He beat Senator McCain by 6.9 percentage points. For many individuals (Americans and foreigners), the outcome of this election has been regarded as a turning point for America, not only because Obama is the first black president in American history, but also because his projects are in total rupture with those followed through or promoted by Bush and his associates in the past eight years. Thus, Obama's election is likely to cause a switch in the direction of American politics, not only with respect to national issues, but also global issues. Moreover, as the United States is the first economy in the world and a military giant, Obama's decisions as the new president are likely to affect the world as a whole; especially as other nations are becoming more and more globalized (countries are becoming more interdependent). Obama's multinational background pushes some people to believe that he will promote and encourage globalization, however, the dreadful economic situation of the United States, triggered in part by a globalization frenzy gone wild, could suggest otherwise. What will Barack Obama mean for globalization?
