After the U.S.mid-term elections in November 2014,the Obama administration entered a lame-duck period.As the Republicans have controlled both the House of Representatives and the Senate,public opinion generally holds that the Obama administration is due to face greater difficulties over the next two years.But as the U.S.political system allows the President of the United States to act more independently in the field of foreign affairs than in that of intal affairs,he can still make a difference here without being hindered by political affairs,even during the last two years of his presidency.In recent history,Ronald Reagan was a typical case in point:he achieved significant success in foreign affairs during the last two years of his tenure.Bill Clinton and George W.Bush also achieved similar successes,with their foreign policy in the lame-duck period proving more effective and efficient than their intal policies.How,then,will Obama behave in the last two years of his tenure?Is American diplomacy entering the post-Obama era?