Tariffs in United States History - Tariffs and Political Parties

Tariffs and Political Parties

The tariff issue was central to political party debates in the Second Party System, Third Party System and Fourth Party System, from the 1820s to the early 1930s. In general Democrats favored a tariff that would pay the cost of government, but no higher. Whigs and Republicans favored higher tariffs to encourage or "protect" industry and industrial workers. Tariffs were generally low before 1860, and high after that. Since the 1930s, however, tariffs have been very low and have been much less a matter of partisan debate.