The Manufacturing Myth: Why 'Make It Great Again' Falls Short

The piece argues that the nostalgia for reviving U.S. manufacturing through “Make America Great Again” is politically appealing but economically ineffective: manufacturing employs less than 8% of jobs and has not rebounded to pre-COVID output despite large policy spending; tariffs raise input costs since most imports are components used by domestic firms, diminishing competitiveness; the economy has shifted toward services, with manufacturing productivity growth slowing, and only a few strategic sectors merit targeted support rather than broad protectionist policies that harm consumers and fail to deliver durable jobs.