Is Washington struggling to adapt to a multipolar world?

Apr 21, 2026

Trevor Sutton, a policy expert on energy, trade and supply chains, and Matt Duss, a foreign policy analyst and former Senate advisor, debate the collapse of the post-Cold War consensus. They explore shifting U.S. economic frames, disciplining corporate power instead of states, rebuilding worker power, and what a multipolar world means for trade and Canadian strategy.

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INSIGHT

Neoliberal Consensus Is Over

The post-Cold War neoliberal consensus has collapsed, revealed by Trump's 2016 shock and persistent voter grievances about deindustrialization and inequality.
Matt Duss ties this rupture to presidents bypassing a gridlocked Congress to wield executive trade and foreign powers directly.

INSIGHT

Trade Skepticism Predated Trump

U.S. trade policy had already stalled before Trump; the last new FTA was Peru in 2009 and USMCA was mainly a renegotiation.
Trevor Sutton argues Trump tapped a preexisting trade-skeptic sentiment rather than creating it.

INSIGHT

Both Major Frames Are Nostalgic

Both 'America First' and 'America Is Back' share nostalgia for U.S. dominance; they differ in style but not root assumption.
Matt Duss says both frames fail to accept a multipolar world where the U.S. must adapt.

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Matt Duss and Trevor Sutton from the Center for International Policy explore the collapse of the post-Cold War neoliberal consensus and what comes next. In particular, they argue that both Trump's "America First" and Biden's "America is Back" frames are trapped in nostalgia for American dominance, when what's needed is a fundamentally new approach, one that disciplines capital rather than states, rebuilds worker power, and recognizes we're already living in a multipolar world. They also emphasize the need for Canadian policymakers to clearly articulate the country's interests while recognizing the increased volatility in U.S. trade relations.

This episode is produced in partnership with the New North America Initiative at the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary. From the shifting ideologies of the New Right and the New Left in the U.S., this multi-month series will bring Canadians inside debates on trade, globalization, and power that are likely to shape America's policy direction — and Canada's interests — for the years and decades to come.

The New North America Initiative is generously funded in part by the Government of Alberta.

Learn more about the initiative: https://newnorthamerica.org.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this multimedia content do not necessarily represent those of the New North America Initiative, the School of Public Policy, or the University of Calgary. This content has been made available for informational purposes, and our role in production does not constitute an endorsement.

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CREDITS:

Elia Gross - Producer and Editor

Sean Speer - Host

Carlo Dade and Alexander Giordano - New North America Initiative

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