PRESIDENT DISRUPTER.

• Author: Powaski, Ronald E.
• Position: WORLD VIEW

SINCE ENTERING the White House, Pres. Donald Trump not only has succeeded in erasing much of Barack Obama's domestic and foreign policy legacies, his "America First" doctrine has done much to undermine the liberal international order that the U.S. helped to create and maintain since the end of World War II.

That world order is called liberal because of the values it seeks to perpetuate, including democracy, respect for human rights, individual freedom, the rule of law, and open economic international relations. It is supported by a number of multinational institutions that are designed to keep the peace and foster international economic stability, such as the United Nations, World Bank, World Trade Organization, and the International Monetary Fund.

A key feature of this international order is the continuing leadership of the U.S. in maintaining the security, prosperity, and democratic nature of its member states. The U.S. sent troops to Europe to fight Germany in both world wars and to Asia in WWII to combat Japan. To contain the further expansion of the Soviet Union following World War II, the U.S. helped to create the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949. Today, membership in NATO commits the U.S. to the defense of 27 European nations and Canada.

In addition to Europe, the U.S. is allied with Japan and South Korea, where it has deployed military forces since the end of WWII. These alliances were designed not only to contain the then-Soviet Union, but to create a community of nations whose members did not fear one other. The alliances also help to prevent their members from spiraling into conflict.

For instance, the security that NATO provides Germany makes it unnecessary for the Germans to re-create a large army, a move that would unsettle their neighbors. The U.S. also provides much of Japan's security in order to preclude massive Japanese militarization, which would worry America's other East Asians allies, particularly South Korea and the Philippines.

U.S. presidents also have supported the United Nations' multitudinous activities, including its worldwide peacekeeping actions and its humanitarian relief efforts with money and sometimes with soldiers.

Moreover, the U.S. has participated in the negotiation of a wide variety of international agreements that are designed to protect the world's environment. In 2015, for example, Pres. Obama signed the Paris Climate Agreement, which committed the U.S. to curtail carbon emissions...