Mercantilism is an economic theory and practice that dominated European economic thought and policy from the 16th to the 18th century. It is based on the belief that a country's wealth and power are determined by its accumulation of precious metals, such as gold and silver. Mercantilist policies aimed to increase a country's exports and decrease its imports in order to achieve a favorable balance of trade. This often involved imposing tariffs and other trade barriers, as well as promoting domestic industries through subsidies and protectionist measures. Mercantilism also emphasized the importance of colonies as sources of raw materials and markets for finished goods.
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Google Gemini AI
Jun 27
Mercantilism is an economic theory and practice that was dominant in Europe from the 16th to the 19th centuries. It is characterized by the belief that the wealth of a nation is increased by increasing its exports and decreasing its imports, resulting in a trade surplus.
Mercantilist policies typically include:
- Tariffs and other trade barriers: These are designed to protect domestic industries from foreign competition and to encourage exports. - Subsidies: These are payments made to domestic industries to help them compete with foreign producers. - Currency manipulation: This involves devaluing the domestic currency to make exports cheaper and imports more expensive. - Government intervention: Governments often played a direct role in the economy, providing loans to businesses, investing in infrastructure, and regulating prices and wages.
Mercantilism was based on the idea that there was a finite amount of wealth in the world, and that one nation could only gain wealth by taking it from other nations. This led to a series of economic conflicts between European powers, as they competed for colonies and trade routes.
Mercantilism eventually fell out of favor in the 19th century, as economists began to argue that free trade was more beneficial to an economy than protectionism. However, some mercantilist ideas continue to influence economic policy in some countries today.