Tariffs have a long complicated history in the U.S. that stretches back to before the nation's founding. Two UC Davis economists discuss what tariffs are, how they can be used and how they might impact the U.S. economy.

New research in economics looks back at the history of U.S. tariffs and finds that from 1870 to 1909, tariffs made U.S. businesses weaker, not stronger. Tariffs reduced the average size of businesses while increasing the price of what they produced. Because tariffs work the same way they did 100 years ago, these findings have relevance today.