Trump Takes on the World

Updated Thursday 28th January 2021

After one of the most shocking presidencies in history, Donald Trump’s top advisers and the leaders who clashed with him lift the lid on the critical moments of his foreign policy.

Trump Takes on the World will be broadcast on Wednesdays for three weeks from 10th February 2021 at 9PM on BBC Two. To find out more, visit the BBC programme page.

About the TV series

Find out more about each episode in this series co-produced by The Open University in partnership with the BBC.

Episode 1

In his first year and a half, Trump falls out spectacularly with some of America’s oldest allies as he relentlessly pursues his ‘America First’ agenda.

From withdrawing from the Paris climate accord to cosying up to Vladimir Putin, Trump shatters the status quo. He even threatens the most critical of all American alliances. As former UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt says, ‘Nato was probably in the greatest peril it’s ever been in its history.’

With first-hand accounts from key players, the episode takes us inside crucial meetings and summits where the US president shocks his counterparts.

Episode 2

Trump turns to the Middle East, where he takes America to the brink of war with Iran, shocks the world by pulling troops out of Syria, and announces breakthrough agreements between Israel and Arab states.

With first-hand accounts from key players - including rare interviews with top Iranian officials - the episode takes us inside the critical moments as Trump turns US foreign policy in the region on its head.

Episode 3

In the final episode, Trump sets his sights on Asia. We hear the extraordinary inside story of how threats of nuclear war against North Korea give way to bromance with Kim Jong-un, one of the world’s most brutal dictators.

With China, the president determines to take a tough new approach, launching the biggest trade war in economic history even as he tries to secure 'the deal of the century'. Trump’s unorthodox style is on full display as he switches between maximum pressure and maximum flattery, bringing all his New York real estate experience to his diplomacy.

With first-hand accounts from key players, the episode takes us inside crucial meetings and summits where the US president shocks his closest advisers by forging new relationships with authoritarian leaders.

Donald Trump versus Twitter. Silhouette of angry American President

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Learn more with the OU

Take a look at the related qualifications, modules and free courses we offer at The Open University.

Qualifications

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BA (Honours) International Studies

Our world is divided into different societies, yet it is increasingly interconnected. Relationships between nations, companies, cultures and individuals extend across regions and the globe. In this course, you'll explore the political, economic and cultural issues that these complex interconnections create. You'll focus on international politics; diplomacy; cooperation; war and security; international development; interactions between different societies; and global environmental problems. You'll be able to choose a specialism from politics, history or the environment as one core area of concern to international studies.

Learn more ❯BA (Honours) International Studies

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BA (Honours) History and Politics

This wide-ranging course will develop and deepen your knowledge of different periods of history while providing a critical understanding of political ideas, institutions, issues and theories. You'll tackle challenging issues such as power and warfare, security and insecurity, global justice, culture and beliefs, health and medicine, imperialism and resistance, and class and gender.

Learn more ❯BA (Honours) History and Politics

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BA (Honours) Politics, Philosophy and Economics

Politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) are central to understanding how modern societies are organised and governed. By studying them together you'll gain a combination of skills that's in high demand across the private, public and non-profit sectors. Whilst PPE has been described as 'the degree that runs Britain', this combination is better viewed as the study of how countries are run, what motivates and constrains their rulers and residents, and how social order and prosperity are best understood and promoted. All three disciplines are presented in up-to-date form, covering alternative as well as 'mainstream' approaches and firmly rooted in the real world.

Learn more ❯BA (Honours) Politics, Philosophy and Economics

Modules

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Investigating the social world

This multidisciplinary module uses a range of learning technologies to help you understand how social scientists investigate the social world. Drawing on the subjects of criminology, social policy, economics, environmental studies, geography, international studies, politics and sociology, you'll explore a wide range of everyday topics. Through the module's investigative and thematic approach you'll learn the methods, perspectives and tools of the social sciences, further developing your analytical and evaluative skills. This module will help you decide your specialisation at OU level 2, and equip you with a range of skills for further independent study, and for your personal and working life.

Learn more ❯Investigating the social world

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Understanding politics: ideas and institutions in the modern world

What is politics? Who is engaged in politics locally, nationally and internationally? How do we study politics? This online module answers questions like these and explores how political ideas, institutions and processes help govern our world. Using a range of study materials you'll explore the interrelationships between politicians, pundits and publics. You'll learn the key practical skills that are used to explore and explain the ways in which politics, in all its forms, helps order the social world and provide for the governance of persons and the administration of things.

Learn more ❯Understanding politics: ideas and institutions in the modern world

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International relations: continuity and change in global politics

We live at a time of historic change in the international system. The rise of China and other large developing countries is challenging the long dominance of the west. Political upheaval and the growing role of networks are reshaping the world. Economic, social and technological changes are altering the context for international relations. This module asks the key questions about contemporary international relations. It teaches key ideas such as sovereignty and security; develops your ability to analyse and respond to some of the central problems of our day; and to understand longer trends of continuity and change in global politics.

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Free courses

China and the USA: cooperation or conflict?

This free course explores the relationship between China and the United States and analyses whether China’s rapid rise will lead to greater cooperation or conflict with the US. The answer to this question will have profound implications for both countries and the wider international system. The course introduces some of the contemporary issues in China-US relations and provides historical background on the evolution of relations between the two countries. It introduces and applies some key ideas drawn from the discipline of International Relations relating to interdependence to assess the prospects for the future trajectory of relations between these two major powers.

Learn more ❯China and the USA: cooperation or conflict?

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The USA, power and international order: Foreign policy under Obama

President Obama's inauguration in 2009 seemed to herald a new era in US foreign policy and international relations. But the Bush years had left a formidable set of problems war in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorism, nuclear proliferation in Iran and the rise of China. In this free course, The USA, power and international order: Foreign policy under Obama, you will explore these challenges facing the USA. You will learn about the position of the USA in the international system, how to analyse US economic and political power in international politics, and be able to make sense of constraints on, and choices open to, US policy in the 21st century.

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What is politics?

This free course, What is politics?, introduces you to the world of politics. It is dedicated primarily to answering the question of what politics is. Although the question might seem rather simple, it elicits various, often contradictory responses. As you will realise, in politics as in much of the humanities and social sciences definitive answers are difficult to come by. What politics is and equally, who does it, and where it is done are hotly debated and highly contested. This OpenLearn course will introduce you to some of these debates, and their implications for the study and practice of politics.

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Meet the OU experts

Meet Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody and Dr Filippo Boni, the OU academic consultants on the series.

The Open University under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody, Lecturer in Politics and International Studies

Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody is an International Relations academic, and Chair of a final year undergraduate module on continuity and change in global politics. Her research is centred around questions of communication, perception, identity and security, with a particular focus on Russia’s international and media relations. She has published academic articles and public outreach pieces on populism, emotion and the ‘post-truth’ media environment. Her 2021 co-authored book, Russia Today and Conspiracy Theories: People, power, politics on RT, examines the circulation of conspiracy theories between the Trump administration and Russian international broadcasters.

Find out more about Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody in her academic profile.

he Open University under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license Dr Filippo Boni, Lecturer in Politics and International Studies

Dr Filippo Boni is Lecturer in Politics and International Studies, and Research Fellow on China's Internationalisation within the European Research Council-funded REDEFINE project at The Open University. His research interests concern the politics of Chinese investments in South Asia and Europe, as well as the International Relations of South Asia, with a particular focus on the bilateral ties between Pakistan and China and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Filippo is the author of Sino-Pakistani Relations - Politics, Military and Regional Dynamics and the Co-editor of the academic journal Asia Maior. He teaches on the second-year undergraduate module Understanding Politics: Ideas and Institutions in the Modern World.

Find out more about Dr Filippo Boni in his academic profile.

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Publication details

Originally published: Thursday, 28th January 2021

Copyright information

Body text - Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0: The Open University
Image 'Trump at NATO press conference' - Copyright: AP images
Image 'Donald Trump versus Twitter. Silhouette of angry American President' - Copyright: ID 197428291 © Peter Kováč | Dreamstime.com
Image 'US - China trade war depicted with two phands painted as the flags over a world map' - Copyright: ID 123373157 © Aquir | Dreamstime.com
Image 'An unnamed port city' - Copyright free: cegoh / Pixabay
Image 'Poll Card EU referendum' - Image by abegum under Creative Commons BY 4.0 license
Image 'Crowd' - Copyright: Dreamstime
Image 'Social media icons on cartoon bodies - includes YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.' - Rosaura Ochoa under CC-BY-2.0 licence under Creative-Commons license
Image 'Parliament at night' - Free-Photos on www.pixabay.com under Creative-Commons license
Image 'Commonwealth Day Flags' - Michael Garnett under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
Image 'The USA, power and international order: Foreign policy under Obama' - Copyright: Used with permission
Image 'Precious - academic photo for Trump series' - The Open University under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
Image 'Filipo - Trump series academic photo' - he Open University under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
Image 'Trump at NATO general council meeting' - Copyright: Jaap Arriens for Getty Images
Image 'Women studying at a table' - Copyright: Image by ammentorp on 123rf.com
Image 'Precious and Filipo - academic photo for Trump Takes on the World' - The Open University under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

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