The Trump inflection in America's foreign policy

Donald Trump's stunning return to the presidency of the United States (US) will have significant implications for international politics.

- Happymon Jacob

Unless his second term differs dramatically from the first, which is unlikely, we can expect a sharply interest-based, mostly disinterested and brazenly-extractive American foreign policy.

One of the key features of American foreign policy during Trump's first term in office was transactionalism - a "mercantile" approach. Under Trump 2.0, this policy - essentially to safeguard clear and direct American interests - rather than pursuing esoteric goals such as democracy or values promotion is likely to continue. All American administrations engage the world to safeguard their interests, but the traditional logic was that the US must create and lead a stable world as it is easier to pursue American interests in such a world. In Trump's view of the world, however, the traditional American thinking that US interests are better served in a more orderly world, and, therefore, Washington DC must persevere on global stability, holds little value. It is not that America's "moral" crusades are universally appreciated, but the most powerful country engaging in unilateral or reckless behaviour with little interest in global leadership could lead to disastrous outcomes.