Unprecedented and unpredictable: this is how US President Donald Trump's administration has repeatedly been labelled during its first term. Beyond the frequent tweets and bombastic rhetoric, however, lie a more conventional four years, as the United States navigated an ever-evolving international reality, compounded by a global pandemic and one of the deepest economic recessions in over a century.
This Report analyses the continuity and changes that occurred during Trump’s first term. Domestically, it investigates the growing political polarization, the country's pre-pandemic economic performance, Trump's approach towards regular and irregular migration, and the US’ response to a healthcare emergency. At the international level, this volume looks at how the US stance has changed vis-à-vis China, the Middle East, and Europe. Which long-term trends has President Trump had to ride through? What was his trademark, and what might be his lasting legacy?
Table of Contents
Introduction, Mario Del Pero, Paolo Magri
Part I – The US in the Mirror. How the US has Changed
1. Divide et Impera: Polarization in Trump’s America, Gary C. Jacobson
2. Trickle-up Economics. Trump, Growth, and Inequality, Michele Alacevich
3. Beyond the Wall: The US Immigration Policy under Trump, Gabriella Sanchez
4. Debacle: Trump’s Response to the Covid-19 Emergency, Scott L. Greer
Part II – The US and the Others
5. The Crisis of the US-Chinese Centered Globalization, Mario Del Pero
6. The US and the Middle East in 2021: Disengagement or Re-engagement?, William F. Wechsler
7. The US and the EU: Game Over?, Erik Jones
