That’s Cliff Winston’s assessment here at LSEblog:
Since entering office for his second term, President Trump has consistently ignored expert advice on key policies, sought to intimidate his perceived enemies and critics, and counted on the public to trust his judgments without question. Clifford Winston writes that these are all characteristics of a narcissistic populist presidency, and that his policy agenda has and will create adverse outcomes for many Americans as well as obstacles to innovation.
Depending on the party that they represent, past US presidents have taken either a conservative approach to governance, championing limited government interventions in Americans’ lives, or a liberal one, espousing expansive government interventions. In contrast, President Trump does not consistently advocate for either limited or expanded government. Instead, he identifies as a populist, appealing to much of the public’s policy preferences. However, because Trump is the first US president to at least publicly proclaim that he is on a mission from God and that he runs both the country and the world, he is best understood as a narcissistic populist.
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Economic implications:
- Tariffs that reduce competition from foreign competitors, increase domestic prices, and require additional subsidies for farmers.
- Opposition to efficient efforts to reduce pollution, which will harm Americans’ health.
- Opposition to the New York City congestion pricing scheme, which is reducing congestion and automobile accidents and increasing foot traffic in downtown commercial areas.
Importantly, Trump’s myopic policy agenda is also creating obstacles to innovation that could advance the nation, such as:
Entire post here.
