Neo-Royalism, the Trump Administration, and the Emerging International System
4 months ago
- #Trump Administration
- #International Relations
- #Neo-Royalism
- The decline of the Liberal International Order (LIO) has led scholars to consider a return to a Westphalian great power system, but the behavior of the Trump administration suggests a different emerging order.
- Trump's foreign policy exhibits collusion with rivals like Russia and China, questioning allies' sovereignty, and using trade negotiations for personal gain, diverging from Westphalian principles.
- The proposed 'neo-royalist' order centers on ruling cliques, not states, focusing on material and status hierarchy, extraction of resources, and personal loyalty to sovereign leaders.
- Neo-royalism is not unique to Trump; leaders like Erdoğan, Modi, Orbán, Xi, and Putin also exhibit elements of this order, leveraging modern interdependencies for personal and clique benefit.
- Key differences between neo-royalism and Westphalian/LIO include primary actors (cliques vs. states), purpose (hierarchy vs. sovereignty/cooperation), means (rent extraction vs. rules), and legitimation (exception vs. public goods).
- Trump's actions, such as prioritizing relations with dynastic rulers and using trade policies for clique enrichment, exemplify neo-royalist strategies aimed at sustaining hierarchy and extracting tribute.
- Neo-royalist legitimation relies on narratives of exceptionalism, such as divine right or unique personal qualities, to justify the clique's dominance and extractive practices.
- Challenges to neo-royalism include resistance from marginalized states, internal elite factions, and succession crises within cliques, which could destabilize the order.
- The article calls for a broader IR research agenda that moves beyond Westphalian assumptions to explore diverse historical and potential future international orders, including neo-royalism.