Class Year
2023
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Fall 2020
Department 1
Political Science
Abstract
President Donald Trump’s foreign policy has developed out of an “America First” ideology that comprises both isolationism and interventionism depending on the situation. This differs from President Barack Obama’s preference for the ideology of American Exceptionalism, which placed America on an equal playing field with other nations and utilized international organizations, such as the United Nations and trade organizations. Most of the Trump Doctrine has arisen out of an intentional shift from “typical” foreign policy of Obama and previous, even Republican, presidents. While Trump is influenced by his White House advisers, he has sidelined the State Department and tends to take action aligning with his own preferences rather than those of his political peers. Ultimately, there is a Trump Doctrine, but it is more informal than, for example, the Monroe Doctrine, and is based on politics of personal preference and emotion rather than a strict following of any one policy model.
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Oglesby, Katelyn, "The Trump Doctrine: America First, Not American Exceptionalism" (2020). Student Publications. 908.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/908
Comments
Written for Pol 224: The American Presidency