| ID | 157759 |
| Title Proper | Trump by Nixon |
| Other Title Information | Maverick Presidents in the Years of U.S. Relative Decline |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Cha, Taesuh ; Taesuh Cha and Jungkun Seo ; Seo, Jungkun |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Does President Donald J. Trump have a coherent statecraft? Can we find a
consistent grand strategy in this new administration, worth calling the “Trump
Doctrine”? Mainly supported by angry Jacksonian folks who have been frustrated
with economic polarization and racial anxiety, Trump’s foreign policy idea
resonates well with European realism. Considering the fact that realist theory has
been confined to the margins of public discourse in post–Cold War America, this
unexpected return of the realist doctrine on the U.S. political scene needs to be
explained. Why are we suddenly approaching realism’s moment in foreign policy?
What makes prominent realists express their best wishes to President Trump?
In this article, we focus on the historical parallel between two maverick presidents
in modern U.S. history, Richard Nixon and Donald Trump. In particular, it is argued
that the realities of the United States’ relative decline induced the Nixon and Trump
administrations to embark on an unconventional course of realpolitik in world
politics. The U.S. leadership in the early 1970s strived to adjust to a condition in
which U.S. dominance was no longer as certain as in the early years of the postwar
times by adopting unorthodox statecraft amid profound political polarization.
Seemingly, the same story applies to the present administration. By attacking the
liberal consensus of the establishment, domestic and international, the Trump
government tries to “make America great again” in another era of increased stress.
Confronting an emerging multipolar international system and the collapse of the
existing national consensus, dramatic shifts in policies have been implemented to
ensure that the United States will remain a hegemonic power on the world scene. |
| `In' analytical Note | Korean Journal of Defence Analysis Vol. 30, No.1; Mar 2018: p.79-96 |
| Journal Source | Korean Journal of Defence Analysis Vol: 30 No 1 |
| Key Words | Realism ; Hegemony ; U.S ; Nixon ; Jacksonianism ; Trum |