The politics of foreign policy: An examination of Tokyo and Washington

While foreign policy isn’t the main factor for most voters in elections, trends and patterns in domestic public opinion help shape leaders’ approach to conducting relations abroad. President Trump’s 2016 election, rooted in his “America First” model, reflected a growing distrust towards previously resolute U.S. foreign policy ideas, such as America’s role in the world and international trade. Over the last year, however, forces inside and outside the administration have pushed back on some parts of Trump’s agenda. In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dissolved the House of Representatives in September 2017, which initiated snap elections on October 22. This political maneuver was risky, but ultimately paid off as Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, Komeito, won over two-thirds of the seats. This may well reflect approval of Abe’s efforts for a revised Trans-Pacific Partnership, without the United States, as well as his stance towards North Korea. Still uncertain is whether Abe has t