The purposes of this article are to explain the adoption of U.S. grand strategy of accomodation during the Barack Obama’s administration to deal with major threats to such state at the international level and examine the effects of the international financial and economic crisis that began in the late 2000s on the international role of the U.S.. Based on the analytical perspective of Joseph S. Nye Jr. about the concept of "smart power", this qualitative study presents three core arguments: 1) the adoption of a grand strategy of accommodation was related to the concept of "smart power" that informs the positions of Obama administration, 2) the crisis has not led to a fundamental challenge to the predominant position of the U.S. in the international system, but confirmed the need for adjustment of U.S. grand strategy toward the accommodation of interests of major powers, emerging economies and hostile states, 3) the adjustment of the U.S. grand strategy did not fully achieve the desired results in the light of the limited cooperation by other great powers, emerging economies and hostile states to the U.S.. The main findings indicate that the U.S. can reinforce its "smart power" if it invests more in global public goods and offers what the peoples and governments around the world want but can not have by themselves. If it complements its military and economic power with a greater investment in its soft power, the U.S. can rebuild the structure needed to deal with global challenges.
United States; Barack Obama; smart power; grand strategy; economic and financial crisis