This case study applies a narrative analysis to President Obama's attempt to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement during his final year in office. President Obama encountered unusual challenges due to the surprising successes of Presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, who were both adamantly anti-trade and staunchly against U.S. ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In this case study, I provide an explanation of how and why to examine U.S. trade politics from a narrative approach. I demonstrate how to select texts and analyze them for narrative themes and storylines. I demonstrate why a narrative approach to foreign policy offers an alternative and more robust explanation for foreign policy outcomes
