Protectionism vs. Free Trade

I am more for free trade than protectionism. Protecting inefficiency hurts the economy more than helps. I think sometimes subsidies are necessary, but laws need to be tighter on how long subsidies are given, to whom they are given, and to what purpose. For example, subsidizing a company so that it has time to grow can help the economy in the long run, but subsidizing an inefficient farm is only hurting the economy in the long run. I don’t think tariffs or quotas should be used at all. Free trade allows for maximum efficiency, lower costs, and the best outcome for economies and consumers. For the evidence I’ve seen thus far, I am pro-free trade

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Econ. Protectionism

Type of Protectionism	Definition	Real World Example
Tariff	A tax on imported goods	http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9528745
Quota	A limit on imported goods	http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2004/02/23/story8.html
Subsidy	Money given to domestic producers	http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1978963,00.html

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