The Trump doctrine in foreign policy: foundations, ruptures and continuities

Abstract

The Trump administration’s foreign policy has generated significant debates in the field of US foreign policy studies. Using a methodology based on theoretical elements such as neoclassical realism and Foreign Policy Analysis, this paper seeks to unravel the foundations of his administration’s foreign policy in areas like decision-making processes, doctrinal and ideological bases and the ruptures and continuities with his predecessor’s foreign policy. The conclusions provide a more nuanced view of the foreign policy of a US president inspired by different theoretical sources with more continuities with his predecessor than most authors admit, but conditioned by a dysfunctional decision-making process and the lack of strategy in the medium and long term.

Keywords

• Trump administration
• foreign policy
• United States
• doctrine
• decision-making process