Why presidential candidates (like Trump) campaign as isolationists but (like Trump) govern as hawks

When President Trump bombed Syria last week, many observers were surprised. Trump campaigned on an isolationist “America First” foreign policy. In a series of now-famous tweets, Trump had specifically warned President Barack Obama against military intervention in Syria. … And yet before his first three months were up, he did exactly that. …

But Trump’s behavior makes sense in light of my research showing that presidents face strong incentives to campaign as isolationists — and to govern as hawks. CONT.

Verlan Lewis (Stanford), Monkey Cage

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