Legend has it that in 1789, after crowds stormed the BastilleA fortress in Paris used as a prison by France's kings. It was stormed by an armed mob during the French Revolution. prison in Paris, Louis XVI asked one of his counsellors: "Is it a revolt?" The reply: "No, sire. It is a revolutionA sudden change in the way things are done.."¹

Across the globe, and above all in countries allied with the US, political leaders were asking the same question after Donald Trump was sworn back into power yesterday.

And this time he gave them the answer himself, declaring in his inaugurationThe introduction of a new system, or the formal ceremony introducing someone to office (most noticeably the US president). speech that he would unleash a "revolution of common sense". All the ills that plagued his country would end, he said - and they would end immediately.

More important still is what he said before the ceremony. Speaking at a rally in the US capital, he told supporters he would repeal every executive orderIn the US, an order written by the president that does not require approval from the legislature, Congress. issued by his predecessor, Joe Biden, on day one.

He promised by the end of the day, he would have halted what he calls an "invasion" of illegal immigration, pardoned imprisoned JanuaryThen-US president Donald Trump was accused of inciting a mob of his supporters to storm the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 in a bid to overturn the 2020 election results. rioters, and overhauled the national curriculum to remove references to critical race theoryA set of ideas and academic field suggesting that racial bias is inherent in parts of Western society, especially legal and social institutions. and transgenderSomeone whose gender identity (what they feel inside) does not match the gender identity they were assigned at birth (based on their biology). people.²

Indeed, it was reported before his inauguration that his team had planned for more than 100 executive orders to be released on the very first day of his presidency.³

It adds up to the most extensive use of executive powerThe power of the part of government that executes or enforces the law. In the US, the executive branch is the president. by any president in history. Which is why some think he is right to describe what he is doing as a revolution.

The purpose of the original revolution, the French RevolutionThe overthrow (and subsequent execution) of France's king and aristocratic government in 1789. The revolution became infamous and influential worldwide. of 1789, was to create a new society by restoring ancient moral values of virtue and selflessness. In other words, although it was creating something novel, it was seeking to return to an idealised image of the past.

Trump, some say, is looking to do the same thing: tear up decades of American history and impose a new order to restore the country to a more rugged time, when men ruled over both the nation and their own families, when capitalismA form of economy characterised by private property and competition between companies. knew no bounds, and when the White population was at the top of the pile.

And just as the French Revolution turned society on its head in a matter of months, so too is Trump determined to shake the foundations of his own nation as quickly and as radically as possible.

Yet others say none of this is as sudden as it looks. The seeds were sown by a succession of presidents from both parties, who expanded the power of the presidency while reducing its accountability.

This is sometimes referred to as the "imperial presidency", and it is the perfect vehicle for Trump's massive overhaul of US society.⁴

Seen from this angle, Trump is less a revolutionary force than the culmination of a long process, begun in at least the 1930s, that has transformed the presidency into a monster.

The French Revolution failed to bring about an older, simpler kind of country. Instead, it produced exactly the opposite: the tumult of today's democratic, liberalLiberalism is a school of political thought that stresses individual liberty. Liberals believe that society should not try to impose values or behaviours on individuals but should be tolerant of different lifestyles. A leading exponent of liberal thought was the 19th-century English philosopher John Stuart Mill, the author of the classic work On Liberty. world. Those who launched their revolution against the French monarchy would have been amazed, and horrified, at the fruits of their efforts.

It is not obvious that Trump will be any more successful at pushing back the tide. Yet even if he fails, his own attempt at a revolution may produce a new order that we cannot even begin to imagine.

Should we call this a revolution?

Yes: No other word could suffice for a programme of ripping up decades of precedent and ushering in an all-new order. The French Revolution ended with all of Europe at war. We must hope this new American Revolution does not have the same effects.

No: There is nothing new under the sun, and Trump is no exception. He is simply doing what all presidents before him did: expanding the powers of his office in unaccountable ways.

Or... Whatever we choose to call this, Trump clearly intends to wield untrammelled power over the next four years. Whoever replaces him in four years' time, it will be difficult to undo his work.

Bastille - A fortress in Paris used as a prison by France's kings. It was stormed by an armed mob during the French Revolution.

Revolution - A sudden change in the way things are done.

Inauguration - The introduction of a new system, or the formal ceremony introducing someone to office (most noticeably the US president).

Executive order - In the US, an order written by the president that does not require approval from the legislature, Congress.

6 January - Then-US president Donald Trump was accused of inciting a mob of his supporters to storm the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 in a bid to overturn the 2020 election results.

Critical race theory - A set of ideas and academic field suggesting that racial bias is inherent in parts of Western society, especially legal and social institutions.

Transgender - Someone whose gender identity (what they feel inside) does not match the gender identity they were assigned at birth (based on their biology).

Executive power - The power of the part of government that executes or enforces the law. In the US, the executive branch is the president.

French Revolution - The overthrow (and subsequent execution) of France's king and aristocratic government in 1789. The revolution became infamous and influential worldwide.

Capitalism - A form of economy characterised by private property and competition between companies.

Liberal - Liberalism is a school of political thought that stresses individual liberty. Liberals believe that society should not try to impose values or behaviours on individuals but should be tolerant of different lifestyles. A leading exponent of liberal thought was the 19th-century English philosopher John Stuart Mill, the author of the classic work On Liberty.