American History II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American History II - Essay Example A tariff refers to either a tax on exports or imports in and out of a country, or, on the other hand, a schedule or list of prices for things such as bus routes, electrical usage or rail service (Kaufman, 1998). From the 1790’s up to the eve of the First World War, Tariffs, often referred to as customs, were, for a long time, the largest source of the American revenue. A subsidy, on the other hand, referred to the assistance paid to an economic sector or business (Kaufman, 1998). A majority of subsidies were created by the U.S. government and offered to subventions in an industry so as to prevent the industry from collapsing. Subsidies, in the United States, were often regarded as a form of trade barrier or protectionism (Kaufman, 1998). This was because it made locally manufactured goods more competitive than imports. Finally, a national bank, in the United States, refers to a private bank operating within the regulatory structure, which might or might not function nationally. The whole meaning of a national bank is that the bank is not subject to state usury laws, which are intended to prevent predatory lending (Kaufman,