Power, Protection, and Free Trade
International Sources of U.S. Commercial Strategy, 1887–1939

David A. Lake (Author)

9781501727993

Paperback / softback, published 15 August 2018

264 pages
23.5 x 15.5 x 1.9 cm, 0.454 kg

Lake has written an excellent book. He is meticulous in showing when and how his predictions are confirmed or disconfirmed by the evidence. His version of structuralism in the trade area is by far the most sophisticated and nuanced we have. By focusing sharply on structure, he alerts us to external constraints and opportunities, and suggests interesting reinterpretations of particular historical events.

Why do nations so frequently abandon unrestricted international commerce in favor of trade protectionism? David A. Lake contends that the dominant explanation, interest group theory, does not adequately explain American trade strategy or address the contradictory elements of cooperation and conflict that shape the international economy. Power, Protection, and Free Trade offers an alternative, systemic approach to trade strategy that builds on the interaction between domestic and international factors. In this innovative book, Lake maintains that both protection and free trade are legitimate and effective instruments of national policy, the considered responses of nations to varying international structures.