Trump’s Economic Gamble
The president is betting on his three favored industries—manufacturing, mining, and construction—to drive growth. But those sectors have been shrinking for decades.
Donald Trump invariably presents his agenda as prioritizing the American economy over abstract ideals like global cooperation.
But that’s not accurate. With decisions like last week’s blustery withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, Trump’s agenda prioritizes some segments of America’s economy over others. He’s attempting to restore the primacy of industries that powered the American economy in the mid-20th century: particularly manufacturing, fossil fuel extraction, and construction. In the process, Trump is sublimating—if not opposing—the needs of the sectors likely to drive more growth through the 21st century: information technology, professional services, clean energy,
