Protectionism and Free Trade

Displaying 41 - 50 of 245

The EU's Woes Are a Political Problem, Not an Economic One

Decentralization and SecessionGlobal EconomyProtectionism and Free Trade

The problem with the European Union is not that it seeks to integrate Europe's economies. The problem comes from attempts to integrate politics as well. 

Read More

India's Farming Reform: A Lesson in Interest Group Politics

Cronyism and CorporatismPrice ControlsProtectionism and Free Trade

Blog02/23/2021

If Punjabi farmers had been portrayed as affluent, the media would view them as greedy entrepreneurs. But leveraging the political capital of perceived powerlessness has allowed them to obscure their true status as rent seekers. 

Read More

The Drive for State and Federal Protective Tariffs in Early America

Protectionism and Free TradeTaxes and SpendingU.S. History

Blog02/22/2021

Every depression generates a clamor among many groups for special privileges at the expense of the rest of society—and the American depression that struck in 1784–85 was no exception.

Read More

It's Time for Unilateral Free Trade with Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK

Protectionism and Free Trade

Blog02/04/2021

Protectionists are always wrong, but they're obviously wrong when it comes to "protecting" US goods from Anglosphere competition. Neither geopolitcal concerns nor fears of capital flight to "cheap labor" apply in this case. 

Read More

When "Free Trade" Agreements Are a Polite Form of Protectionism

Protectionism and Free Trade

Blog01/12/2021

With the Caribbean trade bloc Caricom, we find an international "free" trade agreement being used by a Dominica-based company to demand more limits  on trade between Jamaica and a country outside the bloc. This isn't about free trade. 

Read More

Want to Reduce the Trade Deficit? Cut Government Spending.

Protectionism and Free TradeTaxes and Spending

Blog11/11/2020

A trade deficit isn't actual evidence that anything is wrong. But if it were, one of the best things to do would be to reduce government spending. Unfortunately, politicians disagree. 

Read More

Why There is No Such Thing as an Exploitative Monopoly in a Free Market

Cronyism and CorporatismProtectionism and Free TradeMonopoly and Competition

Blog10/26/2020

What's a telltale sign of economic illiteracy? I'm starting to believe the worst is the claim that markets lead to monopoly and the accumulation of wealth in a few hands.

Read More

There Are No Winners in the US-China "Tech War"

Protectionism and Free TradeSocialismWar and Foreign Policy

Blog07/28/2020

The alleged rise of China to impending global tech dominance is greatly overstated. And US efforts to combat China will only make American companies less competitive.

Read More

The Myth of the Failure of Capitalism

CapitalismProtectionism and Free TradeSocialism

Blog07/27/2020

It is true that socialism and interventionism have not yet succeeded in completely eliminating capitalism. If they had, we would rediscover the meaning of hunger on a massive scale.

Read More

GDP, Free Trade, and Prosperity

Global EconomyProtectionism and Free Trade

Blog07/23/2020

GDP is not a useful measure of the material prosperity of a nation, and the way GDP is measured tends to hide the benefits of free trade.

Read More