Should tariffs be used as a primary tool of national economic policy?

Context

Tariffs are taxes on imported goods designed to protect domestic industries, raise government revenue, or influence trading partners' behavior. Economists debate whether tariffs effectively boost national prosperity or simply raise consumer prices and invite retaliation, making this a perennial flashpoint in trade policy. The question of tariffs' role as a *primary* economic tool—rather than one among many—hinges on competing views about protectionism, free trade, and how economies grow.