Mercantilism?

[obliterate]

Why does merchantilism work the way it does? In real life it worked completely differently. Mercantilistic nation always tried to have exports greater than imports, in other words a positive trade balance.



http://www.reference.com/search?q=mercantilism

[G Julius Caesar]

Here is how I understand it.

Mercantilism in real life led to protectionist policies to improve the homeland industries (with a view to increasing exports abroad). It did not want imports. Its view was it was better to have a more export value than import value in the economy. Like I think you say above.

Civ represents this (bearing in mind its only a game and so is not exact) by:

1. Giving you one free specialist (which I suppose you would use to make extra coins, or produce extra gold). This is the protectionist policy of concentrating on the domestic industries; and

2. Ceases foreign trade routes. This is the no imports part of mercantilism.

Its the civic to choose if it means you get more wealth from the specialist than from the trade routes imports.

I think.

[obliterate]

But the thing is Mercantilism favoured foreign trade over domestic trade. Yet in the game is removes all foreign trade routes.

I have no qualms with the civic, I use it all the time. I just think it is implemented in a strange way.

[G Julius Caesar]

I do see what you mean. Just trying to make sense of the way Civ deals with it.

I think the "Foreign Trade Routes" in Civ represents imports, or rather a tax by your city on imports.

When you adopt Free Trade as a Civic, dont you get extra foreign trade? "Free Trade" in real life went against mercantilism (I think) by encouraging imports over exports. Civ represents this by giving you extra foreign trade. I reason then that the foreign trade coins you get are your taxes on the imports.

Seen this way (foreign trade route coins as import taxes) mercantilism and free trade civics make sense.....or do they? May be straining to circle the square here.

Oh - and may be mixing up my coins and gold also. Not at my home PC so cannot recall for sure whether you get coins (ie hard cash) or commerce ( that is then turned in to gold/beakers/culture/spying according to the sliders).

[onedreamer]

Originally Posted by obliterate

But the thing is Mercantilism favoured foreign trade over domestic trade. Yet in the game is removes all foreign trade routes.

I have no qualms with the civic, I use it all the time. I just think it is implemented in a strange way.

there is no such thing as import trade route and export trade route in Civ, so how would you implement Mercantilism in the way you describe ?

[obliterate]

Originally Posted by onedreamer

there is no such thing as import trade route and export trade route in Civ, so how would you implement Mercantilism in the way you describe ?

I thought there was. Just because you have a trade route with your opponents city generating commerce doesn't mean the other city is generating commerce from your city.

[G Julius Caesar]

Originally Posted by obliterate

I thought there was. Just because you have a trade route with your opponents city generating commerce doesn't mean the other city is generating commerce from your city.

Can this be checked somehow (eg in WorldBuilder)? I always thought the figure you got, so did the other city.