Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) was a French economist and journalist. One of his classic works is The Candlemakers' Petition, which uses the reductio ad absurdum philosophical technique to dismantle the arguments the French protectionists put forth to protect French industry in the mid-nineteenth...

This article examines protectionism from a number of perspectives. Part One provides some general background information describing present Japanese-American trade policy. Part Two does the same for Korean-American trade policy. Part Three offers some concluding observations

The vast majority of the books and articles that have been written over the past few centuries about trade policy in general and protectionism in particular have been written from a utilitarian perspective. Indeed, it would only be a slight overstatement to say that the only works written about...

There is no doubt that protectionism costs. But it is less clear exactly how much it costs and who pays. And while protectionism results in a deadweight loss — there are more losers than winners — some individuals and groups gain from protectionism. And it is those who stand to gain who have...

This article is about protectionism. It is divided into four parts. Part 1 reviews the philosophy of protectionism, and analyzes the various arguments that have been given to support it over the years. These arguments have generally supported producers at the expense of the general public. Part...

The vast majority of articles and books that have been written about trade and trade policy -- nearly all -- look at trade from a utilitarian perspective. Utilitarians take the position that if free trade is a good policy, it is good because the vast majority benefits. Free trade gives consumers...

President George W. Bush ran on a platform of free trade during the 2000 election. Yet shortly after he took office he started engaging in protectionist trade practices. The 30 percent tariffs imposed on steel and Canadian lumber were only two of the most noticeable examples of practicing...

Antidumping laws have existed in some form since the early twentieth century. Ostensibly aimed at protecting domestic producers from unfair trade practices, they have sometimes been used as weapons of protectionism even when dumping has not occurred. When this happens, some special interest...