The HHX A exam assignment from May 19, 2019 is to write an essay in which you discuss the consequences of Donald Trump’s “America First” policy for American business, consumers, workers, and foreign relations. Using the information in the source material, we will help you discuss the consequences of the “America First” policy for each of the fields mentioned.
The texts in the assignment offer inspiration for discussing both the positive and the negative consequences of Donald Trump’s “America First” policy for the above-mentioned fields. In this way, you can have a wider perspective on the impact of the “America First” policy on all those fields and be able to analyse them critically.
Note that Text 4 and Text 5 present a largely positive view of Trump's "America First" policy, while the other four texts are mainly critical. This may be helpful to know when you structure your own discussion and decide which materials to include where.
You can find our discussion on the consequences of Donald Trump’s “America First” policy for American business, consumers, workers, and foreign relations in the following pages.
Extract
Text 1 and 2
Text 1 indirectly suggests that Donald Trump’s “America first” policy will have negative consequences for foreign relations. The text suggests this by focusing on how trade agreements and institutions that Trump is known to oppose have had positive effects. The text talks about how trade agreements during the Cold War have helped to improve international relations and prevent conflicts, while also bringing global prosperity. If Trump opposes these agreements then this might lead to the opposite effect: more international conflicts and decreased global prosperity.
The video reveals that US contributions play an important role in maintaining international organisations. If US funding for organisations like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the United Nations is cut, than a series of negative consequence might result. For instance, NATO is a vital organization to preserve peace in the world. Less funds will make the organisation less capable of intervening in international conflicts. Also, countries which are members of these organisations could start seeing Trump as an enemy if he cuts funding, and become less likely to cooperate with the US.
