PPI - Radically Pragmatic
  • Donate
Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Locations
    • Careers
  • People
  • Projects
  • Our Work
  • Events
  • Donate

Our Work

National Journal: World of Hurt

  • July 25, 2014
  • The Progressive Policy Institute

PPI President Will Marshall was quoted in “World of Hurt” written by Ronald Brownstein for the National Journal. In this article Brownstein contrasts the way in which the past two presidents have approached foreign policy: Bush being too aggressive, and Obama being too passive. Brownstein argues that the 2016 presidential candidates are going to have to fall somewhere in between Bush and Obama in order to have a successful election bid. Marshall was quoted on this issue:

The iron fist failed. Then the velvet glove failed.  That’s undoubtedly a simplistic verdict on the foreign policy records of the past two presidents, George W. (“iron fist”) Bush and Barack (“velvet glove”) Obama. But it now appears inevitable that the 2016 foreign policy debate will unfold against a widespread sense that America’s world position eroded under both Bush’s go-it-alone assertiveness and Obama’s deliberative multilateralism. “There will be a groping on both sides toward a new synthesis,” says Will Marshall, president of the centrist Progressive Policy Institute.

Read the rest of the article at National Journal.

Related Work

Op-Ed  |  May 13, 2026

Kahlenberg for The Atlantic: The Democrats Can’t Let Go of Racial Preferences

  • Richard D. Kahlenberg
In the News  |  May 12, 2026

Ainsley in IPS Journal: ‘Britain is moving into a multi-party era’

  • Claire Ainsley
In the News  |  May 12, 2026

Ainsley on ABC Australia’s Radio National Breakfast: More than 80 Labour MPs are now calling for the British Prime Minister to resign

  • Claire Ainsley
Op-Ed  |  May 8, 2026

Marshall for The Hill: America at 250: Battling over National Identity

  • Will Marshall
Op-Ed  |  May 7, 2026

Jacoby for Washington Monthly: Trump Leaves Ukraine’s Future to Europe

  • Tamar Jacoby
Op-Ed  |  May 6, 2026

Libert in Well News: How America Can Have Its Own Péter Magyar

  • Jolie Libert
  • Never miss an update:

  • Subscribe to our newsletter
PPI Logo
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Donate
  • Careers
  • © 2026 Progressive Policy Institute. All Rights Reserved.
  • |
  • Privacy Policy
  • |
  • Privacy Settings