Buy American to Create Jobs

In March 2014 we published an article in Sociological Forum that was titled "The Good Society: Core Social Values, Social Norms, and Public Policy." That article had a section called Buy American to Create Jobs. Here is what we wrote.

One of the desirable features of a good society is that it should have a strong and growing economy which provides employment opportunities for all of its citizens. In contemporary America such an economy does not now exist, and much of the turmoil and political conflict is about the best policies to achieve that end. Keeping in mind that our view of the good society is a bottom-up view, not a top-down view, we begin with the things that all citizens can do to create a vibrant economy before we discuss what government can do.

Thus, we begin with a set of prescriptive norms that are meant to guide behavior as consumers. When Americans call upon their government to create jobs, they must be prepared as consumers to take the lead and to exhibit behavior that is consistent with job creation. The first step is to buy autos, home appliances, and electronics from companies that produce in the United States with a high percentage of domestic content in their products. Of course, the imperative to buy American will probably lead to higher costs for consumers, because it will mean avoiding the "big box" stores that attract customers with lower-cost goods that have been produced in low-wage countries. But it is also possible that the development of  community industries would catch on and lead to revitalization of textile production in the United States and be a stimulus to the growth of co-ops and worker-owned businesses.

If you want to know more about these ideas you can read the article or our 2009 book America at Risk: The Crisis of Hope, Trust, and Caring.