Tariffs
- Thread starter subllibrm
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I haven't heard much about tariffs in relation to political parties for some time. It seems to me that regardless of one's position on the political spectrum, tariffs enter in the discussion only when politically expedient.
In general, industrialists prefer them as they are protection against cheap imports flooding the market while agriculturalists tend to be against them so it is easier to sell their stuff overseas because countries will fight tariffs with tariffs.
Reagan refused to put tariffs on auto imports during the 80s calling them "protectionist" and telling US auto makers, "If you want to compete with foreign cars, you need to build better cars affordably."
So, I suppose real Republicans might stray away from tariffs because they represent undue government influence on the market; a historic GOP position.
In general, industrialists prefer them as they are protection against cheap imports flooding the market while agriculturalists tend to be against them so it is easier to sell their stuff overseas because countries will fight tariffs with tariffs.
Reagan refused to put tariffs on auto imports during the 80s calling them "protectionist" and telling US auto makers, "If you want to compete with foreign cars, you need to build better cars affordably."
So, I suppose real Republicans might stray away from tariffs because they represent undue government influence on the market; a historic GOP position.
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Trade tariffs and economic nationalism went hand in hand with the non-interventionalist policies of the paleoconservative movement. Its influence has waned in favour of neoconservatism, which tends to favour free markets, and hence free trade.
So in a sense they're both kind of a Republican thing. Just depends on which Republican--Pat Buchanan vs. Ronald Reagan, for example.
So in a sense they're both kind of a Republican thing. Just depends on which Republican--Pat Buchanan vs. Ronald Reagan, for example.