May 18, 2018
Globalization has been touted as this inevitable, unstoppable force. But as the U.S., China and other major economies flex their muscles over trade, is this assumption all wrong? America has a long history of global trade and a varied one. Our economy has swung widely from protecting our very first industries with subsidies and imports to brokering global deals that open borders and lift trade barriers. It’s not pure economics that dictates our trade relationships; it’s politics and social context, too. Who’s gained from open borders and who’s lost? Who are tariffs designed to protect, and have they worked? Trade Off offers stories of work, reward and American attitudes toward the rest of the world. Scott Tong and Sarah Gardner explore the topic across time and geography, from America’s first industrial park in New Jersey — envisioned by Alexander Hamilton — to a growing community of tech workers from India in Kansas City.
