The Analysis On President Trump’s Personality And The US-China Trade War

Donald Trump can be said the American President who has the most special personality in American history.His rise to power has revived a long-lost perspective: the study of the impact of leaders’ personality on their foreign policy making.This thesis will analyze the impact of Trump’s personality on American foreign policy making.American political system decides that the US foreign policy making is complicated and contradictory.There are many factors that affect American foreign policy making.However,although the analysis of the impact of leaders’ personality on American foreign policy making is merely a micro perspective,it is still of great importance.On the basis of Margaret G.Hermann’s personality analysis theory,I will define Trump’s personality type and explore his personality characteristics from political leaders’ sensitivity to changes in the external environment;I will define the degree of the impact of Trump’s personality on American foreign policy making from political leaders’ interest in foreign affairs and professional training in foreign affairs.The case study of the US-China trade war can test the results that Trump is not that sensitive to changes in the external environment,and he is a dominant leader of the strategic/crusader type.He lacks training in diplomatic expertise but is interested in foreign affairs.So he relatively has a big impact on American foreign policy making.Under the framework of Margaret G.Hermann’s personality analysis theory,certain features in Trump’s personality can be analyzed.But at the same time,it should be noted that Hermann’s theory is limited.It cannot analyze the uncertain and changeable factors in Trump’s personality which may determine the direction of the US foreign policy making.Therefore,when analyzing the impact of Trump’s personality on American foreign policy making,we should have a comprehensive and flexible thinking.That is to say,we should not ignore the uncertain factors in Trump’s personality which cannot be explained by Hermann’s personality analysis theory.