| Subject: | International Relations |
| Title: | Political Leadership and Economic Statecraft: A Neoclassical Realist Analysis of U.S. Tariff Shifts and India’s Foreign Policy |
| Author(s): | Hariom Singh Sisodia |
| Published on: | 30th January 2026 |
| Published by: | Lyceum India |
| Name of the Journal: | Lyceum India Journal of Social Sciences |
| ISSN/E-ISSN: | 3048-6513 |
| Volume & Issue: | Volume: 3, Issue: 1 |
| Pages: | 109-120 |
| Original DOI (if any): | 10.5281/zenodo.18404915 |
| Repository DOI: | |
| Abstract: | The growing use of trade policy as an instrument of foreign policy has highlighted the importance of political leadership in shaping international economic relations. This paper examines how shifts in political leadership in the United States—particularly during the Trump administration—reshaped tariff policies and influenced India’s foreign policy responses. Drawing on the theoretical framework of neoclassical realism, the study argues that U.S. tariff shifts were not merely outcomes of systemic economic pressures but were significantly shaped by leadership perceptions, domestic political coalitions, and strategic calculations. Using a qualitative and historical-analytical approach, the paper traces the evolution of U.S. tariff policy toward India across different administrations, with a focused analysis of Trump-era protectionism. It further evaluates India’s calibrated response, which balanced economic resistance with strategic restraint in light of broader geopolitical imperatives. The findings suggest that despite trade frictions, India–U.S. relations demonstrated substantial continuity in strategic cooperation, underscoring the limits of economic statecraft in redefining long-term partnerships. The study contributes to the literature on foreign policy analysis by extending neoclassical realism to the domain of economic statecraft and leadership-driven trade policy. |
| Keywords: | Neoclassical Realism, Economic Statecraft, U.S. Tariffs, Trump Administration, India–U.S. Relations, Foreign Policy |
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