The Populist Revolt That Propelled Trump Won’t Fade Away If He Loses

The Populist Revolt That Propelled Trump Won’t Fade Away If He Loses
Trump supporters during a rally at the Utah State Capitol, Salt Lake City, Nov. 1, 2016 (AP photo by Rick Bowmer).

In less than a week, Americans will vote for their next president. The choice this year is stark, particularly with regard to the two candidates’ character and qualifications. For all her flaws, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is clearly qualified and prepared to assume the presidency. By contrast, her Republican counterpart, Donald Trump, has demonstrated a lack of seriousness and a cavalier amateurishness that makes him ill-suited for the office.

This is not so much an endorsement of Clinton as a statement of fact for most unbiased observers of international affairs and national security. It is also unfortunate, since the campaign—while egregiously ignoring major international issues such as climate change, China policy and human rights—has exposed important differences between the two candidates over how to approach American foreign policy. But they have been overshadowed by Trump’s carnie-like candidacy.

Clinton has a traditional view of America’s global role and interests, and is likely to advance and defend them in a manner consistent with the broad tenets of liberal internationalism. Trump, for all his ignorance, has raised legitimate questions about the underlying assumptions of American foreign policy, particularly regarding its far-flung and at times imbalanced alliances. He has also challenged the bipartisan orthodoxy in support of liberal trade agreements, expressing a reasonable skepticism more generally regarding the liberal internationalist paradigm.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article as well as three free articles per month. You'll also receive our free email newsletter to stay up to date on all our coverage:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having your own personal researcher and analyst for news and events around the globe. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of 15,000+ articles
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday
  • Weekly in-depth reports on important issues and countries
  • Daily links to must-read news, analysis, and opinion from top sources around the globe, curated by our keen-eyed team of editors
  • Your choice of weekly region-specific newsletters, delivered to your inbox.
  • Smartphone- and tablet-friendly website.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review