Oligarchy in Modern Politics

On Trump's government, his motives and his modus operandi.

Political theorist Corey Robin talks to Alex H and contributing editors Lee Jones and Alex Gourevitch about Trump II from a domestic perspective. We look at the three main things he's done so far: cutting the civil service, imposing economic sanctions domestically, and his immigration terror politics.

• Is Trump a strong president? Does the reliance on executive orders indicate weakness?

• What happened to the #Resistance?

• Why has the tariff issue, instead of uniting Republicans as in the 19th century, divided them?

• Is the bond market the main force limiting Trump's agenda?

• Has Bernie Sanders' prediction come true – this is now an oligarchy?

• Does Trump just represent patrimonialism and even gangsterism? A degradation of democracy?

• What does reaction looks like when there’s very little left to react against?

Links:

• /129/ The Right Is Weak ft. Corey Robin | Bungacast

• Notifications, Corey Robin, Sidecar (on Trump & tariffs)

• Corey Robin's facebook posts

• The Hollow Parties: The Many Pasts and Disordered Present of American Party Politics, Daniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld, Princeton UP