The Rise and Fall of Modern Bounderby: An Overview of the Evolution of Economy from Mercantilism to Trumponomics with reference to Dickens’s Hard Times (1854)

Abstract

The election of Donald Trump can be examined in the context of the rise of authoritarian populist, nationalist, and anti-globalist movements throughout the world due to neoliberal policies, job outsourcing, and the influx of immigrants. Unlike preceded presidents, Trump had no previous political or military experience; instead, he popped out from the business world and entertainment culture. The paper’s endeavour is twofold: first, to trace the evolution of the economy from Mercantilism to Trumponomics, which is a mixture of mercantilism globally and neoliberal flavoured with classical crony capitalism of Dickens’ Bounderby domestically to appease his voters and not to upset his wealthy friends. The second is to draw a comparison between Donald Trump and his counterpart Josiah Bounderby, a stark example of capitalism. The paper will not only trace his ascension to the very pinnacle of world power as the president of the United States but also his fall, testing the allegations of the clown prince of American politics and whether or not he betrayed his anti-globalist followers in pursuing his and big corporates interests. Like his counterpart, Mr Bounderby, who built his image on his rags-to-riches fairy tale, Trump built his own as a man of deals. While the former left no progeny and his fortune was whittled down by the court, the latter was proved to be the worst deal-maker ever. He did more harm than good and produced nothing but a faceless economy and a nation bitterly divided.