Obama second term — JCPOA, Paris, TPP, Cuba opening

Doctrine — stated goals and content

Obama II was an executive-action and international-agreement presidency with minimal domestic legislative throughput under divided government. (a) Economic school: rules-based liberal-internationalism abroad (JCPOA, Paris, TPP) + progressive-regulatory stance at home (Clean Power Plan, overtime rule, net-neutrality Title II reclassification Feb 2015). (b) Left-right: centre-left / progressive-liberal, but practically constrained by McConnell Senate. (c) Dated policies: Iran nuclear JCPOA (14 Jul 2015), Cuba diplomatic reopening (17 Dec 2014, embassy reopened 20 Jul 2015), Paris Agreement signed (22 Apr 2016, entered into force Nov 2016), TPP signed (4 Feb 2016, not ratified), Clean Power Plan proposed Jun 2014 / finalised Aug 2015 (stayed by SCOTUS Feb 2016), marriage equality via Obergefell Jun 2015 (judicial), DAPA executive action (blocked by courts 2016), Dodd-Frank implementation continued, oil export ban lifted Dec 2015. (d) Popularity: re-elected 2012 51.1%; approval bottomed 40-42% 2014 midterms ("historic losses" in Senate); rose to mid-50s by 2016 exit. (e) Coherence: moderate — international agreements formed a coherent post-unipolar liberal-order pivot; domestic executive-action strategy vulnerable to successor reversal (Trump I withdrew TPP, JCPOA, Paris; Clean Power Plan replaced).