The appeal of Buy American is obvious. Beyond being extremely popular with voters, the policy is seen as promoting economic growth by ensuring that tax money spent to build up the country stays in the U.S. Supporters say it also helps create high-quality blue-collar jobs at American factories — the types of jobs that have been disappearing for decades as so much manufacturing has shifted overseas. Some also make the case that recent global disruptions like the pandemic and war in Russia show the value of economic independence.
But many if not most economists say Buy American is a self-defeating policy. They argue that limiting competition for government contracts means tax money will be wasted on materials that are more expensive and often of lesser quality than what can be purchased from abroad.
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