ABSTRACT
Protectionism plays a central role in the ideational construction of trade politics by demarcating those trade curtailments that are considered illegitimate. It took on that role as a process of the rhetorical efforts of export-oriented businesses and the government officials aligned with their interests. The definitional contest over the meaning of protectionism has major ramifications for which trade policies are seen as legitimate, for which political actors’ preferences get written into international trade rules, and for determining the extent to which trade rules may impinge on national sovereignty.
