Donald Trump and Radical Reconfiguration of the World-System in the Context of the World Order Transformation

Journal of World-Systems Research. 2026. Vol. 32. No. 2. P. 391–420.

Leonid Grinin, Anton Grinin, Korotayev A.

The article analyzes the direction, mechanisms, and causes through which President Trump’s actions contribute to the destruction of the foundations of U.S. influence in the world and to the transformation of the world order. For almost two decades we have been observing such an important phenomenon as the reconfiguration of the WorldSystem, which means that the World-System is in a systemic crisis and in a state of deep transformation which is rapidly changing the political landscape – both domestic and international. This crisis is expressed in the intensification of contradictions, the growth of conflicts, and the spread of other turbulent and destructive political processes that destabilize the global situation, even as the climate crisis deepens. These processes are closely connected with the weakening and destruction of the existing world order and with preparations for the formation of a new one. The article shows the causes and stages of development of this process. It concludes that, with the new administration of Donald Trump, a new phase in the acceleration of World-System reconfiguration has begun under the influence of the chaotic actions of the United States. This phase can be described as radical reconfiguration. As a result, we are caught in a whirlpool of destabilizing events that indicate the fairly rapid erosion of the previous world order. The question being discussed is whether the activities of Trump and Trumpists can be viewed as a kind of revolution from above.

Keywords: globalization, World-System, systemic crisis, world order, Donald Trump, transformation of world order, Trumpists, World-System reconfiguration