Social mood decides.
Across the globe, support for America’s “universal tariffs of 10% to 60%” (Economic Policy Institute, Feb. 10) is draining like a car battery with its lights left on overnight.
The March 2025 Socionomist cover story “Tariffs Turned ‘On’ Again” by Chuck Thompson asks the $4.2 trillion-dollar question: “Why tariffs? Why now?” His answer sheds light on a historic correlation between U.S. Presidents’ penchant for protectionist trade war policies and negative social mood going back a century. If passed, Thompson cites alarming data warning, “Tariffs imposed by the U.S. could reach levels not seen since the Great Depression.”
But that’s not the most unsettling part. Thompson recounts three precedents in which trade authority was ceded to the President; meaning, the commander-in-chief can “adjust tariffs up to 50% without congressional approval.”
Read the entire, in-depth cover story on trade wars in the March 2025 Socionomist today, which also includes a riveting report on the escalating conflict between the U.S. and Mexico and a stomach-churning piece on the surge in food-borne illnesses – all of which reflect a deepening shift in negative social mood. Purchase the full report today!
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