On the Economics of US Agricultural Policy
Abstract
ABSTRACT This paper presents an economic analysis of US agricultural policy, building on a modified version of Gardner's efficient redistribution. We argue that agricultural policy is motivated as an attempt to implement an efficient redistribution scheme that redistributes income toward farmers who, as a group, have been adversely affected by agricultural productivity growth. We show how this approach helps explain why subsidies are more common in agriculture than in other sectors of the economy. We explore how our analysis provides new and useful insights into the design and implementation of US agricultural policy.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Agricultural Economics and Policy
Cooperative Studies and Economics
Land Rights and Reforms
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1201–1213
- Publication date
- 15 May 2026
- Language
- EN