Tulisan ini membahas mengenai perkembangan gagasan proteksionisme di AS dari waktu ke waktu. Literatur-literatur yang ada akan dikelompokkan menggunakan metode kronologi ke dalam tiga periode berbeda, yaitu initial period, interwar period dan liberalization period with protectionism disjuncture. Dari perkembangan gagasan proteksionisme di dalam periode-periode tersebut, terlihat bahwa gagasan proteksionisme selalu hadir di AS, bahkan ketika AS menerapkan kebijakan liberalisasi perdagangan. Kemunculan proteksionisme tersebut juga selalu dilatarbelakangi oleh peristiwa- peristiwa besar, baik yang terjadi di dalam AS itu sendiri maupun dunia. Penulis melihat adanya preseden historis dari berlakunya proteksionisme di AS yakni wacana proteksionisme akan muncul ketika AS merasa memiliki tantangan eksternal yang dapat mengganggu kondisi dalam negeri AS. Pengelompokkan tersebut juga memperlihatkan tema-tema yang muncul di dalam pembahasan mengenai proteksionis yang memiliki kaitan erat dengan institusi, ide, kebijakan keamanan, dan kebijakan luar negeri AS. Tradisi populis AS turut berkontribusi dalam mendorong tindakan-tindakan proteksionis. Berdasarkan hal tersebut, proteksionisme menjadi gagasan yang dapat dianalisis dari berbagai faktor, mulai dari ekonomi, politik, keamanan, hingga ideologis. Akhirnya, ditemukan beberapa kesenjangan literatur yakni pertama, masih kurang dibahasnya aspek ide dan legal di dalam kajian mengenai proteksionisme dan kedua, masih belum ada literatur mengenai langkah-langkah untuk memitigasi proteksionisme selain dari sudut pandang perdagangan bebas.
This paper discusses the development of protectionism idea from time to time. The literatures are classified using chronology method into three different periods, namely the initial period, interwar period and liberalization period with protectionism disjuncture. From the development of the idea of protectionism within those periods, it appears that the idea of protectionism is always present in the US, even when the US implements trade liberalization policies. The emergence of protectionism is motivated by major events, both within the US and the world. The author also sees a historical precedent regarding the emergence of protectionism in the US. Protectionist discourse also arises when US feels an external challenge that can disrupt domestic conditions in the US. The classifications also show some themes that emerge in the discussions on protectionism that are closely related to US institutions, ideas, security policies, and foreign policy. US populist tradition contributes to the promotion of protectionist measures taken by the government. Protectionism is not just a notion that can be analyzed from international political economy, but other factors, such as ideology, also matter to sustain the protectionism idea. By using contextual perspectives over time, this paper is expected to show how protectionism evolved as well as its relation to other aspects of international relations. Based on that, protectionism becomes an idea that can be analyzed from various factors, ranging from economic, political, security, to ideological. Finally, there are some literature gaps that can be found, which are firstly the lack of discussion about ideas and laws in the study of protectionism, and secondly, there is still no literature on measures to mitigate protectionism other than free trade.