Graduation Date
Spring 2026
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Public Sociology
Committee Chair Name
Çağlar Dölek
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Joshua Meisel
Second Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Neoliberalism, Crimes of the powerful, Authoritarian populism, Authoritarian statism, Legislation, Deregulation
Subject Categories
Sociology
Abstract
This thesis examines the way the American capitalist state transformed during Donald Trump’s first presidential term (2017-2021), especially focusing on neoliberal policy and the framework of the crimes of the powerful. This thesis aims to answer the question of how neoliberalism transformed the state under Donald Trump. Drawing on Nicos Poulantzas’ theory of authoritarian statism and Frank Pearce’s conception of crimes of the powerful, this thesis examines how the state becomes more authoritarian to protect capital accumulation and the capitalist class. The research shows that Trump weaponized authoritarian populist rhetoric that targeted women, immigrants, and vulnerable populations to build support for policies that guarantee capital accumulation at the expense of the working-class population. The Trump administration used executive orders, agency capture, agency downsizing, and formal rule changes to roll back regulations, particularly in economic sectors that affect the environment. This thesis concludes that Donald Trump’s first presidential term represented a shift toward authoritarian tendencies by concentrating political power into the executive branch, but Trump is not a deviation from American politics but a symptom of the continuation of corporate control over the American state in a new, authoritarian form.
Citation Style
ASA
Recommended Citation
Lonon, Charles Brandon, "Neoliberalism and the crimes of the powerful: Transforming the state during the first Trump era (2017-2021)" (2026). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2583.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2583