The politics of trade
Subtitle: American political development and foreign economic policy
By: by Cynthia A. Hody.
Series: The Nelson A. Rockefeller series in social science and public policy
Publisher: Dartmouth College; Published by University Press of New England
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Hanover
Language: eng
Number of pages: 210
Subjects: Free trade -- United States -- History -- 20th century.; International trade -- History -- 20th century.; United States -- Commercial policy -- History -- 20th century.; United States -- Foreign economic relations.; United States -- Politics and government -- 20th century -- Decision making.
Description: Bitter controversies over GATT and NAFTA clearly illustrate the ongoing evolution of U.S. economic policies whose roots Cynthia A. Hody traces to the early 1900s.

By examining institutional change in domestic politics and its impact on policy formation around the turn of the century, she places contemporary policy-making procedures into their historical and analytical context, suggesting that policy makers tend to overlook contemporary societal and economic changes in favor of free trade at the expense of a coherent industrial strategy.

Hody points out that lawmakers responded to America's growth into an industrial giant by passing protectionist adjustments to U.S. tariff policies, but it took decades for them to realize those reactions were ineffective. New policies demand new politics, she writes, and policy makers must work to avoid the lag between changes in conditions and adjustments in policies.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [189]-204) and index.