Friedrich List's Protectionism: A Theoretical and Applied Evaluation

Abstract

Friedrich List, through works such as "The National System of Political Economy," "The Natural System of Political Economy," and "Outlines of American Political Economy," proposed a relatively complete system of protectionist trade thought. He also practiced his economic theories through entities like the German Customs Union. Although List's economic theories are not prominently featured in academia due to their protectionist nature, many scholars have studied them from various angles. Based on the study of List's protectionist economic theory, this paper summarizes the research findings on List's economic thoughts and, combined with the practical application of his theories, conducts a dialectical analysis of the contemporary significance of the theories.