United States First Policy

America first is a direction for U.S. foreign policy, a political theme that Trump has emphasized throughout his campaign and a slogan used to drum up nationalism and anti-interference positions in the United States. It is clearly a form of "neo-isolationism" designed to appeal to the lower and middle classes, to build Trump into a leader who is truly interested in protecting the interests of the American nation, and to generate the momentum that draws votes for Trump.

In fact, "America first" is more than just a foreign policy tone. It has permeated many policy areas of the Trump administration. Trump did make good on his campaign promises when he took office, and many of his domestic and foreign policies were clearly directed.

America First Policies

Contents

This policy, proposed by the current American president Donald Trump, prioritizes U.S. internal affairs and economic development, focusing on the U.S. economy, trade, diplomacy, and military. This section mainly introduces the specific actions and policies of the Trump administration, including abandoning the TPP, withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, quitting UNESCO, initiating the construction of a wall on the Mexico border, and abolishing the DACA program.

• Internal affairs and economic development The wall project. •On January 25, Trump signed two executive orders aimed at strengthening border security and tightening immigration policy, and said he would begin construction of the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border with federal funds within months. Illegal immigrants from Latin America, according to Mr. Trump, had stolen jobs from American people and therefore needed to be kept out by a fence. The DACA project. •On July 5, Trump ordered the repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA program). The DACA program is an executive order issued by former President barack Obama in 2012 that allows undocumented immigrants brought into the United States by their parents as children (under 16) to be exempt from deportation while studying and working in the United States. The program involves about 800,000 "dreamers," mostly from Mexico and other Latin American countries.
• Economy, trade, diplomacy, and military Abandoning the TPP. •The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement is a multilateral free trade agreement covering international trade, labor, environmental issues, intellectual property, and the sensitive issue of state-owned enterprises, considered a 21st-century trade agreement. It was officially signed by representatives of the 12 member TPP countries. Trump, sworn in on January 20, 2017, announced his withdrawal from the TPP because top Republicans, who controlled both houses of Congress, were concerned that some provisions would not maximize U.S. interests (Janusch & Mucha, 2017). Quitting UNESCO. •On October 12, the U.S. State Department issued a statement saying that the U.S. would withdraw from UNESCO.

Withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. •On June 1, Trump announced that the United States was pulling out of the Paris Agreement, stating that it imposed "harsh financial and economic burdens" on the United States.

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Causes and implications

This will be analyzed in the context of national interests and international responsibilities. After the Cold War, although the United States remained the world's dominant power, its global influence has gradually declined. Trump's policy reflects a decreased willingness to assume international responsibilities, prioritizing instead "internal skills" to improve and guarantee the national strength of the United States.

The "America first" policy implied two major transformations of American external politics: from liberalism to realism, and from internationalism to nativism. The first shift is the transition from liberalism to realism.

First, Trump claims that international relations are inherently competitive and antagonistic, often viewed from a "zero-sum" perspective. Power is the fundamental guarantee of national security and interests, repeatedly stressing the necessity for the United States to maintain the world's most advanced military readiness and strike force.

The second shift is from internationalism to nativism. The essence of "America first" is to carefully use U.S. power resources and concentrate them within the United States. His requests for allies to share the burden of U.S. spending, particularly on European and Asian allies' safety, pointed to the trillions of dollars spent, arguing that these countries should pay their fair share. At the same time, "U.S. priority" also has a strong "Jacksonian doctrine" element, emphasizing that strong action is required to defeat enemies that directly threaten U.S. interests.

Influence and consequences

"America first" is likely to foster hegemony. A series of unilateral actions such as arms expansion and the initiation of trade wars will directly cause international unrest and turbulence. It will shake up the existing global economic and geopolitical landscape, creating uncertainty about whether the world will establish a new framework for prosperity and peace or descend into turbulence and chaos.

The redistribution of global interests under "America first" represents another wave of U.S. unilateralism and hegemony, directly and openly challenging the international order. It would destabilize existing global economic and geopolitical patterns, leaving the world uncertain whether it will develop a new framework for prosperity and peace, or a swamp of turmoil and chaos.

A developed market economy, built on the basis of liberalism, has led to global capital and its elite class becoming subjects of global concern, leading to protectionist tendencies.

Furthermore, the conflict between financial incentives and monetary tightening policies is increasingly serious. A structural problem behind the Fed's long-term policy of low and even zero interest rates in the decade following (and even preceding) the financial crisis was the decline in real investment returns, causing a further decline in nominal interest rates, hence the "negative circulation." While the global financial crisis has gradually eased, it has not ended, and the fragile global economic recovery will take time to fully materialize. This includes worrying sequelae, such as "currency wars."

The "America first" policy should be understood as an attempt to preserve U.S. superpower status while making policy changes amidst confusion. Power relations are reshuffling, with emerging powers and traditional powers cooperating and significantly improving their status. The world's multipolarization presents a new situation, where preventing nuclear proliferation and terrorism are central concerns. Some regional hotspots have become more complicated and require the reinforcement of the United Nations and regional organizations.

Some argue that this is essentially a policy of unilateralism that has also contributed to the economic and social development of sanctioned countries like Cuba and Iran. It also promotes economic globalization to some extent and closer alliances between certain states. On the other hand, trade protectionism undermines fair dealing in international financial markets, and economic sanctions against other countries are met with counter-sanctions, ultimately causing serious damage to the economic interests of both the sanctioning and sanctioned states.

Cooperation and challenge

With the "America first" policy, international society should emphasize mutual cooperation and development. The broadest international united front should be established, safeguarding the fairness and justice of international rules, and promoting reform and innovation in international organizations and the international order.

The global governance system, which cannot be controlled by a single country, should be decided by all countries. The "America first" policy should advance global governance to better reflect the changing international landscape, more fairly representing the will and interests of most countries, especially emerging markets and developing countries. Actively maintaining openness and governance, promoting the construction and improvement of regional cooperation mechanisms is vital for addressing challenges such as resource and energy security, food security, cybersecurity, climate change, terrorism, preventing major infectious diseases, and other global challenges.

The trend towards centralism in the world is increasing. The United States, as the world's strongest country, uses force and money to strengthen its voice and actions, employing various international laws to restrict the development of other countries and using ostensibly universal values to promote its dominance. All developing countries and third-world countries should strive to safeguard an international environment of peace and development in their long-term interests, preventing worsening or breakdown of relations between countries. However, defending hegemonism and power is not the ultimate goal for the United States. Shouldering more responsibility for fairness and justice within the international community is what truly matters.

References

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