beggar-my-neighbor policy
- noun
- /ˈbɛɡər maɪ ˈneɪbər ˈpɒlɪsi/
- Literature
:
política de pobre de mi vecino
- The country adopted a beggar-my-neighbor policy by imposing tariffs that harmed its trading partners.
Examples
-
Many economists warn that a beggar-my-neighbor policy can lead to trade wars and global instability.
-
During the 1930s, several nations implemented beggar-my-neighbor policies to try to escape the Great Depression.
-
The government implemented a beggar-my-neighbor policy to boost local industries.
-
Many economists criticize beggar-my-neighbor policies for their negative global impact.
-
Countries often resort to a beggar-my-neighbor policy by imposing high tariffs on imports to protect their own industries.
-
The economist warned that a beggar-my-neighbor policy could lead to trade wars that would ultimately harm all nations involved.
-
Many governments have adopted a beggar-my-neighbor policy to gain a competitive edge in global markets, causing tension among trading partners.
Synonyms
A plan by one country to help itself by hurting other countries' trade
Antonyms
11
3.2
A way of buying and selling that gives better pay and rights to farmers and workers
How Harmful
- Literature
17
7.0
- Formal
443
2.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
beggar-my-neighbor + policy
The literal components ('beggar', 'my', 'neighbor' + 'policy') point to the idea of making one's neighbour poor, so a learner who knows the words can partially infer an action that harms others economically. However, the item is a conventionalised economic idiom (and depends on knowing 'beggar' as a verb and the fixed collocation), so the precise political/economic sense and routine usage are not fully predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Beggar-my-neighbor policy comes from a simple picture: a country acts so its neighbor becomes a beggar while it helps itself. So the phrase means 'to help yourself by hurting other countries'.