President Trump has recently been considering the possibility of a U.S. involved Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which has surprised many domestic and international actors. Initially, Trump determined that the deal would hurt American farmers, but now that the U.S. is on the brink of a trade war with China, he feels pressure to reevaluate the TPP: “the president started to change gears after hearing complaints from important constituents—in this case, Republican lawmakers” (Swanson, “Trump Proposes”). This potential trade war will hurt farmers and businesses that have supported Trump, and in order to maintain his constituency for the next presidential election, he has to appease them. If Trump fails to do so, his support base will find another candidate that will best adhere to their interests.
https://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2016/11/daily-chart-7
This displays that politicians are motivated by reelection, whereas industries are driven by profit. In order to best achieve their goals, politicians will create and reinforce policies that benefit corporations. In exchange, these industries will provide campaign support. Once these interests align, an unstoppable unit is established that manages how issues are perceived and controlled.
This can best be seen when it comes to approaching environmental concerns, where individuals are using their “consumer choice” to combat them. In “Individualization: Plant a Tree, Buy a Bike, Save the World?” Michael Maniates analyzes how political and brand-named corporations “hold the advantage in the battle to shape the conversation of sustainability and craft the rules of the game” (Maniates, 44). These actors want Americans to believe that every individual is responsible for the environment through their consumption, shielding the primary perpetrators that destroy the global commons. Reinforcing privatization as a solution to environmental issues generates a continual “race-to-the-bottom,” where the majority of the world’s population, no matter their efforts, will be victims to elite interest.
For more information on Trump’s constituency, look here.