ABSTRACT
After a long period of protectionism, from the founding of the republic until the Second World War, the US since then has played a major part as the engine of world growth and as a pillar of international financial, economic, and trade organizations. The internationalism of the 1990s was fueled by the greatest economic expansion in US history. During the 1990s, trade as a share of the gross domestic product rose by almost 5 percent and American prosperity is linked to the international economy more than ever before. The US has benefited enormously from globalization but also has had to adapt its economy to deal with global challenges. This has led to increased voices calling for protectionism.
