Social Movement and Functionalism

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MERCANTILISM AND ROME’S FOREIGN POLICY The article was writen by Tenney Frank in 1913. He define and explain history of merchantile theory. Mercantilism is one of the economic theory that government control of foreign trade is of maximum importance for ensuring the military security of the state. According to some scholars mercantilism is economic development period between sixteenth and eihteenth century in Western Europe. The aim of the article is that mercantile doctrines had been known and applied by senate of the Roman Republic in 200s B.C. In the aticle author give many examples about Rome’s foreign commercial politics, however there are two important example which might be considered as proofs to support author’s view. First of all in 186 B.C. the senate concluded a treaty with the Aetolians and they stipulated that Romans and Italians would have free entry at the port of Ambracia because in order to gain advanteges for Roman trade the port of Ambracia was important location. As you know one of the most important policy for merhantilism is to entire and dominate important ports, it is important strategy to colonize and to increase Roman power on freign trade. In addition by the agency of stable ports, they might monopolize markets. Second important example is that before 130 B.C. Rome had special deal with some tribes. For example; Transalpine, they were famous with cultuvation of wine and oil however Roman senate enforced them to refrain from the cultivation of wine and oil. In this regard they aimed to increase the Roman fruit-grower. After the war treaty signed with Transalpines, Marseiles which is Rome’s ally, became wine-growing state. These two examples shows that the mercantile system has come from the Roman Republic in 200s B.C. The theory of mercantilism refers that the government should increase the capital volume by discouraging imports

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