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Mercantilism And The Development Of Mercantilism Essay

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Mercantilism
Mercantilism was a theory in economics, which was very popular between the 16th and 18th centuries, whose aim was to build a strong rich state through the regulation of the economy by the state (Wallerstein, 2014). This regulation of the economy was implemented by states through the reduction of imports and the increase of exports. These actions aimed at creating a “favorable balance of trade” that was characterized by monetary reserves of gold and silver (Rothbard, 2010). Other policies implemented by states that characterized mercantilism were the restriction of colonies to trade only with their colonial masters; the banning of gold and silver exports; the creation of staple ports; illegalization of trade in foreign ships; export subsidization; promoting the manufacture of finished goods; and encouraging the utilization of domestic resources (Wallerstein, 2014). Mercantilism motivated wars between states and colonial expansion by the competing states (Rothbard, 2010). This paper discusses the history of the development of mercantilism.
The major reason for the development of mercantilism was the numerous military conflicts among nations in Europe, between the 16th and 18th centuries, which were the most extensive than any other time in history (LaHaye, 2008). During this volatile period, states had to develop full-time professional armies, who were available to protect them from any threat at any time and were also ready to launch an invasion of another state

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