Background
The Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act, officially known as the Tariff Act of 1930, was passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Herbert Hoover. The act raised U.S. tariffs on over 20,000 imported goods to record levels.
Historical Context
The act was implemented during a time of immense economic struggle, as the world was sinking into what would become known as the Great Depression. Initially intended to protect American businesses and farms from international competition, the act instead contributed to a significant reduction in international trade.
Definitions and Concepts
The Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act established a protectionist tariff policy aimed at shielding domestic industries from foreign competition. It is often cited as a major example of economic interventionism that had unintended negative consequences.
Major Analytical Frameworks
Classical Economics
In classical economics, tariffs like those in the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act are generally seen as distortions to the free market that lead to inefficiencies and loss of welfare.
Neoclassical Economics
Neoclassical economic theories also usually argue against high tariffs, highlighting how they can lead to trade wars and reduce overall economic welfare.
Keynesian Economics
From a Keynesian perspective, while tariffs could potentially protect jobs in the short run by reducing imports, they are ultimately harmful because they reduce international trade and can lead to retaliatory measures by other countries, exacerbating economic downturns.
Marxian Economics
Marxian economic theories might view the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act as an instrument reflecting the interests of capitalists to secure profits by restricting foreign competition, affecting the working class by shrinking economic opportunities.
Institutional Economics
Institutional economists would examine the roles of regulatory bodies, policymakers, and economic institutions in shaping and producing the outcomes of the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act, which includes the onset of retaliatory tariffs from other nations.
Behavioral Economics
Behavioral economics could analyze the psychological motivations behind the protectionist sentiments that drove the passing of the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act, such as risk aversion and nationalist sentiments.
Post-Keynesian Economics
Post-Keynesians might critique the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act based on its cyclical impacts, namely how decreasing international trade can lead to diminished economic demand globally.
Austrian Economics
Austrian economics tends to criticize government interventions like tariffs, predicting that they lead to economic inefficiencies and unintended negative consequences, much like those observed following the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act.
Development Economics
Development economists could explore how protective tariffs impact developing nations, potentially scrutinizing the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act’s ripple effects on global trade, which affected poorer economies disproportionately.
Monetarism
Monetarists would be concerned about how such protectionism impacts monetary conditions, trade balances, and ultimately inflation, possibly agreeing that the tariffs imposed by the act worsened the global economic downturn.
Comparative Analysis
Comparatively analyzing tariff laws across different eras and regions can highlight the diverse impacts these laws have had on both domestic and international economies. Smoot–Hawley is frequently referenced when discussions of protectionism arise, often compared to other historical tariffs that yielded mixed outcomes.
Case Studies
- The impact of retaliatory tariffs from countries affected by the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act.
- The economic decline in sectors that lobbied for and against the tariffs.
- Comparative analysis with more recent tariffs, such as those implemented by the Trump administration.
Suggested Books for Further Studies
- “The Great Depression: America, 1929-1941” by Robert S. McElvaine
- “Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World” by Liaquat Ahamed
- “Tariffs, Blockades, and Inflation: The Economics of the Civil War” by Mark Thornton and Robert B. Ekelund Jr.
Related Terms with Definitions
- Tariff: A tax imposed by a government on imported or exported goods.
- Protectionism: Economic policy of restraining trade between countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods.
- Great Depression: A severe worldwide economic depression that took place during the 1930s.
