"America First" puts global neighbors last
It's not new for politicians to talk a lot about American jobs. But their nationalistic fervor is troubling.
International trade is a central issue in this year’s presidential election, with particular focus on the Trans-Pacific Partnership under consideration by Congress. The TPP is a complex trade agreement between the United State and 11 Pacific Rim countries. In development for ten years, it includes more than 30 chapters and aims to cut 18,000 different tariffs. Candidates have not delved into the particulars; in this election year, the TPP is simply a powerful symbol of global trade that threatens American jobs.
Donald Trump has blamed trade agreements like the TPP for the loss of American jobs and promises that an “America First” policy can get American workers a better deal. “A Trump Administration will end [the war on the American worker] by getting a fair deal for the American people. The era of economic surrender will finally be over.”
Pushed on the issue by Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton has voiced her own reservations about TPP and vowed to take a hard line on trade. “I will do everything in my power to defend American jobs and American workers. Any trade deal must meet three tests to earn my support: it must create good American jobs, raise wages, and advance our national security.”
