Abstract
The election of Donald J. Trump, as the 45th president of the United States of America, has generated instability and uncertainty within the global security arena. Strong messages during the election campaign about “Making America Great Again” with resilient emphasis on power and tweets about change in alliances and institutional obsolescence indicates change in American security strategy. A change fueling uncertainty, which the rest of the world must take into account.
This thesis will analyze whether American security policy will follow Trumps power focused campaign rhetoric, or if it will continue to form around more moderate and traditional liberal trends. The thesis will identify and research possible change in the Trump administrations security policy, in order to minimize the uncertainty. Both individual main actors from the security political domain and shifts in the security policy structure will be analyzed. Individuals, whom at the same time exists in an external security policy setting, form security policy. In order to capture the nuances in future American security policy, both internal actor preferences and external security policy structures must be explored. This gives the thesis a holistic and eclectic foundation, which captures the possible changes in American security policy better.
The conclusion indicates status quo in American security policy. To some extent, the USA will continue the liberal project by active global engagement and enforcing peace, democracy and human rights. The team of main security policy actors represents a broad and different set of positions and views. The wide-ranging political spectrum requires compromise and consensus solutions, which will lead to more moderate change than initially assumed. President Trump is the main actor in favor of strong nationalistic, militaristic and power trends. For now, Trump is opposed and controlled by more moderate security policy actors. However, the uncertainty will remain since Trump at any time can choose not to listen to the security policy team and advisors, but instead follow his own power agenda. In the short term minor security policy changes will occur, amongst others pressure on rich alliance partners to share the financial burden of maintaining security and increased focus on eliminating ISIL. However, in the long run it is estimated that current course in American security policy will be maintained. The USA will continue to promote global peace and stability, because it is in their own best interest.