Trump, Neoconservatives, and the Misrepresentation of the American Founding

2020 ◽  
pp. 99-108
Author(s):  
Nicholas W. Drummond
Keyword(s):  
Free Trade ◽  
Natural Rights ◽  
Divide And Conquer ◽  
Leo Strauss ◽  
American Founding ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
Political Thinking ◽  
Civic Republicanism

This chapter evaluates the neoconservative anti-Trumpers who view the Trump presidency as a betrayal of America's founding principles. These detractors have been especially critical of nationalist populism and its rejection of “globalist” policies like free trade, foreign interventionism, and immigration. The chapter argues that neoconservatives misunderstand America's principles as a nation because they have relied heavily on certain sources, starting with the view of the American founding taught by the followers of Leo Strauss. This view overemphasizes Lockean natural rights and the merits of commercial acquisitiveness. Absent from this neoconservative analysis is an appreciation of three tenets of James Madison's political thinking, each of which accords with nationalist populism: civic republicanism, intergenerational duty to ancestors and posterity, and a warning that too much diversity will lead to a plutocratic oppression of society through a politics of divide and conquer. Although neoconservatives may have personal reasons to criticize the presidency of Donald Trump, their argument from the American founding is not particularly convincing.

Philippine-US leaders meeting will refresh alliance

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Free Trade ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regional Powers ◽  
Us Government ◽  
Philippine Government ◽  
Trade Deals

Significance This follows a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Philippine counterpart, Rodrigo Duterte, on November 13 during Trump's visit to Manila for the 40th US-ASEAN Summit. Impacts Manila will warm ties with Washington once more, but also with Beijing and Moscow. The Philippine government will also seek free trade deals (multilateral and bilateral) with other regional powers. US government pressure on Philippine human rights protections will likely be restrained in favour of trade.

Speedy Mexico-EU trade deal promises risks and rewards

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Free Trade ◽  
North American ◽  
Free Trade Agreement ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Transportation Costs ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The North

Subject Mexico-EU trade talks Significance Talks on modernising the Mexico-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) have gained urgency since the election of US President Donald Trump as the prospect of an end to free trade within North America forces Mexican officials to get serious about diversifying relations. While negotiators hope to seal a new EU deal by the end of the year, many issues are yet to be addressed and renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is absorbing bureaucratic capacity. Impacts Anti-American sentiment stemming from Washington’s hostility could favour European firms and investors in Mexico. The rush to conclude agreements risks bad deals and political blowback from Mexico’s opposition. Transportation costs and connectivity will ultimately matter more for Mexican diversification than already low tariffs.

China-Japan economic complementarity will deepen

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Free Trade ◽  
Product Differentiation ◽  
Bilateral Trade ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Economic Interdependence ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Speaking Out

Significance Competition between Japanese and Chinese companies in the global market is increasing, but their bilateral trade reveals that the division of labour and economic interdependence between the two countries is deepening. Tokyo and Beijing have also become the two largest economies speaking out for global free trade -- albeit on their own terms -- amid Washington's turn to protectionism under President Donald Trump. Impacts Intra-industry trade will deepen. The share of high value-added items in trade in both directions will increase. Quality and product differentiation will become more important to exporters’ competitiveness on both sides.

scholarly journals Pour une étude généalogique de la valeur des droits de l'homme : une opposition à l’historicisme et au racisme

Labyrinth ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Laurent Balagué
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
17Th Century ◽  
Natural Rights ◽  
Fundamental Question ◽  
Leo Strauss ◽  
Human History ◽  
A Value

For a genealogical study of the value of human rights: an opposition to historicism and racism The purpose of this article is to focus on human rights as a value in itself that has to fight against other values. We would like to show that human rights have become an intrinsic value only by following a path in human history that distinguish them from historicism. Because human rights became a value through history, it is important to be able to show the lay out of this history. We will illustrate it by means of diverse philosophical theories. We will begin with Leo Strauss' philosophy of natural rights which considers human rights in their opposition to historicism. Then, with the help of Michel Foucault's genealogy we will show how human rights develop themselves against the racist theory elaborated by a fraction of the French aristocracy in the 17th century. Consequently, a tension emerges inside those rights between their natural value and their historical one, which leads to the fundamental question: what is the essence of humankind involved in human rights? 

New York Sybarite Conquers the South

2019 ◽  
pp. 128-150
Author(s):  
Charles S. Bullock ◽  
Susan A. MacManus ◽  
Jeremy D. Mayer ◽  
Mark J. Rozell
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Free Trade ◽  
Republican Party ◽  
Gun Control ◽  
General Election ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
Southern States ◽  
White Voters ◽  
Racial Resentment ◽  
Republican Nomination

Donald Trump, the thrice married and publicly philandering Manhattan resident who had recently been pro-choice and pro-gun control, won the Republican nomination and the presidency in 2016 in part through his very strong showing among Southern white voters. How he managed to do that is the story of this chapter. Trump appealed to Southern white racial resentment, as well as to the anti-immigration fervor particularly evident in the low growth “stagnant” Southern states such as Alabama and Mississippi. But what was really remarkable is how he won the GOP nomination by doing well in all regions. The Republican Party has become unified around a largely Southern conception of conservatism: deeply religious, pro-military, and less concerned with free trade. In the general election, by contrast, regional polarization intensified in 2016. In both elections, Trump’s path to victory required him to do well among Southern whites, which he ably did.

scholarly journals Explaining Support for Trump among White Americans

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Stempel
Keyword(s):  
Free Trade ◽  
Asian American ◽  
White Americans ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
Policy Positions ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Economic Distress ◽  
2016 Election ◽  
Economic Anxiety ◽  
Election Studies

This fragment uses 2016 American National Election Studies data to explore the influence of a large number of attitudinal and policy positions on support for Donald Trump before and just after the 2016 election. The kitchen sink approach included more than 25 variables/scales in OLS regression explaining Trump support, gradually eliminating non-significant variables. The result is a useful summary of the importance of anti-immigrant, pro-strong man leader, high political cynicism, anti-gay/transgender, anti-Muslim, anti-refugee, anti-Black, generalized economic anxiety (but not personal economic distress), and anti-free trade in explaining support for Trump. It also suggests that many Trump supporters systematically dis-identify with Trump's more virulent racism, sexism, and xenophobia. For example, virulent anti-Black, anti-Asian American stereotypes and immigrant threat are negatively associated with support for Trump when controlling for the more restrained or policy based forms of antagonism. Although, the test is imperfect, virulent anti-Muslim attitudes stand out for their positive strength even after controlling for support for a (Muslim targeting) refugee ban.

Economic Impact of Unilateral Free Trade

2021 ◽  
pp. 81-83
Author(s):  
Aarnav Narain Jalan ◽  
Anshika Bajaj
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Free Trade ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
China Trade ◽  
American Medicine ◽  
Trade War ◽  
Trump Administration

President Donald Trump condemned the interdependence of the United States with other countries in a speech on March 24th, 2020 saying, “This crisis has underscored just how critical it is to have strong borders and a robust manufacturing sector. - ''… Our goal for the future must be to have American medicine for American patients, American supplies for American hospitals, and American equipment for our great American heroes.” [1] The United States has also been part of the ongoing US-China trade war, with both sides imposing numerous tariffs on each other's imports. These actions speak to the protectionist economic policies of the Trump administration.

The Limits of Protectionism: Building Coalitions for Free Trade

2006 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 730-731
Author(s):  
Chris Kukucha
Keyword(s):  
Free Trade ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Divide And Conquer ◽  
Coalition Building ◽  
University Of Pittsburgh ◽  
Electoral Success ◽  
International Obligations ◽  
Liberal Trade ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
Market Strategies

The Limits of Protectionism: Building Coalitions for Free Trade, Michael Lusztig, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2004, pp. xi, 272.As the title suggests, Michael Lusztig offers a non-apologetic endorsement of liberal trade, coalition building, and the limitations of protectionism and rent seeking. Specifically, he argues that “flexible” rent seekers have a better opportunity to prosper than “inflexible” rent seekers. The goal, therefore, is for governments to reduce rents below a specific threshold to force sectoral interests to successfully adjust to or exit the market. Strategies include the big bang approach, divide and conquer, iteration, and the path of least resistance. Catalysts for change are periods of economic crisis, international obligations, and strategic considerations in which reform is linked to potential electoral success. Ultimately, in Lusztig's opinion, crisis and mandated international change offer the best opportunities for rent reduction, at least in terms of limited political backlash.

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