Issue 3, 2025  

Trump 2.0 in a Changing World

Contents

▍Editor’s Note

Trump 2.0 and the Coming Era of Global Disorder

▍Overseas

Trump’s War on Universities: How Far Can His New Science and Education Policy Go?                   Tian Fangmeng

▍Cover Topic: Trump 2.0 in a Changing World
The Fragmentation of Global Ideological Spectrum and Re-globalization in the 21st Century         Li Shimo

“Tax-Debt Imperialism”: America in Retreat and the New Global Landscape                              Wang Xiangsui

Who Will Build the New World Order After Neoliberalism                 Xu Poling

Trumpism and American Conservatism: From Division to Alliance to Convergence                          Qiang Ge

The political movement represented by Donald Trump is widely perceived as a robust resurgence of American conservatism. This paper contends that Trump’s political philosophy, governance agenda, and MAGA movement demonstrate fundamental distinctions from neoconservatism that has dominated conservative discourse over the past five decades. Through empirical analysis of Realpolitik developments since 2016, we reveal an evolutionary trajectory in the relationship between Trumpism and American conservatism transitioning from ideological divergence to strategic alignment. Driven by formidable external pressures from the Democratic Party and Trump’s demonstrated political efficacy, this process culminated in a notable convergence wherein core tenets of traditional conservatism were substantially supplanted by Trumpist doctrine. While existing scholarship has extensively explored this phenomenon through intellectual history lenses, this study adopts a Realpolitik analytical framework to systematically examine the transformative dynamics between Trumpism and American conservatism since 2016.

The MAGA Crowd: A Historical Perspective                                             Niu Ke

This essay explores the deep-rooted populist foundations of Donald Trump’s politics and their implications for American foreign policy. It argues that Trump’s political base—the “historical MAGA constituency”—embodies longstanding American traditions of anti-elitism, anti-intellectualism, and isolationism. Drawing on sociological and intellectual-historical studies, the essay traces this constituency's lineage from Jacksonian democracy to twentieth-century America First advocates. It demonstrates how populist sentiments have reshaped American political landscape and presidential power, eroded elite dominance in foreign policy, and reinvigorated isolationist opinions. The essay concludes that understanding this enduring social bloc is crucial for anticipating the dynamics and trajectory of Trump-era international strategy and America’s global posture

▍Observation · Society         

Ecological Socialism in Practice: A Study of Collective Pastoral Economy in Xizang’s Ga Tsho Community Ding Ling, Yan Hairong, Tang Liqun, Wang Haixia

Contrary to the “tragedy of the commons” thesis, empirical studies and some Chinese government reports indicate that privatized pasture use rights—implemented through the Household Responsibility Contract System—have exacerbated grassland degradation in market-driven contexts. This paper examines Xizang’s Ga Tsho pastoral collective, demonstrating how communal ownership and commoning practices not only avert ecological overexploitation but also systematically integrate production with environmental stewardship. Furthermore, comparative analysis reveals that the collective model enhances both total productive capacity and per capita income relative to the household-based pastoralism.

How Can Underdeveloped Regions Achieve Long-term Development:Reflections on Zhangjiakou’s Assistance Mechanism        Wang Xiaoyi, Liu Qi

▍Focus

Does Technological Progress Necessarily Drive Economic  Development?     Zhang Kangle

This article explores the relationship between technological progress and economic development, challenging technological neutrality and determinism by focusing on technology’s social process and distribution effects. In the context of domestic economic development, studies show that while public finance drives technological innovation in domestic economies, the resulting economic benefits are largely captured by capital owners rather than contributing to social welfare or employment. In international contexts, Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu’s research demonstrates that identical technologies yield divergent impacts across developed and developing countries. Although technological progress can improve economic benefits (such as the popularization of smartphones to promote financial inclusion), its role in promoting economic development depends on the social distribution mechanism.

The “New Energy Crisis” of an Industrial Power: Why Germany’s Energy Transition Fail?                  Liu Yuanling, Wen Jiayun

As the largest economy and the primary economic engine of the European Union, Germany has always claimed to respond to climate change with a proactive attitude and has embarked on energy transition for more than 20 years. However, Germany’s energy transition, which focuses on phasing out nuclear and coal power while developing wind and solar power, has resulted in persistently high electricity prices and high per capita carbon emissions, making it difficult to consider the transition successful. Germany’s experience in energy transition provides both practical references and valuable lessons for China.

▍Historical Perspectives  

The Failure of Unilateral Enlightenment: Yan Yangchu’s Rural Experiment Revisited      Zhang Yiying, Wen Tiejun

▍The Global South

From Belt and Road Initiative to Global Development Initiative: Changes and Constants in China’s Foreign Aid     Guo Yu, Wang Luo

How “Infrastructure+” Enables Chinese Companies to Embed in Morocco      Jian Qi

The deepening of China-Morocco bilateral relations, complementary economic advantages, and Morocco’s demand for infrastructure investment have created new opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in infrastructure development.  Despite challenges such as market conditions, investment and financing constraints, and hidden management costs, Chinese companies have effectively responded through establishing joint ventures, diversifying investment and financing models, and strengthening local management. These efforts have generated positive spillover effects in technology transfer, industrial chain development, and cultural exchanges.

▍Historical Perspective  

Why Are Indian Farmers Opposing Modi? — Tracing the Origins of the Agricultural Crisis in Punjab      Wang Jing