All by Himself? Trump, Isolationism, and the American Electorate

Abstract

During his campaign and subsequent presidency, Donald Trump staked out and implemented an isolationist foreign policy agenda that sought to put "America First" and curtail U.S. participation in international treaties and trade agreements. Isolationism represented a dramatic turn away from the internationalism of all postwar presidencies, and Trump's radical foreign policy changes raise two novel questions: Did isolationism resonate with American voters, and if so, how did this shape the outcome of the 2016 presidential election? We analyze how attitudes toward isolationism changed in the American electorate from 1992 to 2016, and whether aggregate changes in isolationism conferred any electoral advantages on Trump in 2016. The results indicate that while isolationism tends to be supported by a relatively small portion of the electorate, aggregate levels of support increased noticeably in 2016. Controlling for established factors, particularly partisanship, isolationism disposed voters to support Trump's candidacy. These two developments delivered a measurable benefit to Trump, one that is of theoretical significance in going beyond partisanship to influence both Democratic and Republican identifiers. Future shifts in levels or political relevance carry with them a potential to shape elections and policymaking. We discuss implications of findings for scholarship in political behavior and political sociology.

Assessing China's news coverage and soft power in Latin America in the wake of the Belt and Road Initiative (2013–2021)

“…This increasing connection has resulted in Latin American policymakers holding friendlier attitudes toward promoting Chinese geopolitical and economic interests (Roy, 2022). The COVID-19 pandemic and self-imposed retreat of the U.S. (Dodson and Brooks, 2022) has only accelerated this trend, as China has established friendlier relationships via vaccine diplomacy (Harrison, 2021) and new and more affordable technologies such as smartphone and internet devices (De Aragão, 2021a). Moreover, local governments have sought direct investment from China (Trevisan, 2020).…”

From Norms Taker to Norms Breaker: A Comparative Study of Turkey's Nuclear Discourses Before and after the Ostensible Coup of 2016

“…Since 2016, Turkey's soft power foreign policy toolssuch as dialogue, cooperation and economic agreements, all prioritised to promote its traditional policy of 'zero problems with neighbours' -have been replaced with increasingly hostile rhetoric and an emphasis on military power (Ülgul 2017) Turkey's policy framework and political rhetoric are not only affected by conflict in MENA, however; it is also subject to changing dynamics of nuclear politics of the region. Since the US and NATO reduced their security and strategic commitments to Turkey and other regional allies amid a more isolationist policy of the former Donald Trump administration (Dodson 2021), Russia's involvement in the region has increased. Alongside Russia, Turkey has also taken a more prominent position in regional strategy and security, especially in terms of the internationalised Syrian and Libyan civil wars.…”