Abstract
Economic war constitutes all economic measures taken, before, during or instead of a military war, to harm an enemy. Compare protectionism, which is all the measures taken to ‘defend’ the national economy. These latter are often precisely the same measures. The subjective perception of how they do defend our own long-run economic interests is very often incorrect, and always controversial: for free trade lies at the root of Western economics. By contrast there is little theory about economic war, and (or so?) most of the measures taken seem by common admission well fitted to their time and place.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Copyright information
© 2018 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Wiles, P.J.D. (2018). Economic War. In: The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95189-5_27
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95189-5_27
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-95188-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-95189-5
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences