The National System of Political Economy

Friedrich List's The National System of Political Economy (1841) advocates for economic nationalism, a policy aimed at fostering domestic industries through protectionist measures like tariffs. List argued that these tariffs should be viewed as an investment in a nation's future productivity, particularly for countries in the early stages of industrialization. This approach contrasts with the free-market principles often associated with classical liberalism and figures like Adam Smith. List's work emerged from his efforts to abolish internal trade barriers within German states and his experiences in the United States, where he observed the benefits of protecting nascent industries.1234