Weekly civic intelligence report ยท v2.2
The Trump administration announced multiple tariff policy changes affecting Canada, Mexico, and other trading partners, including a 250% tariff on Canadian dairy. These represent significant economic policy shifts with broad market implications.
Tariff policy represents executive economic authority with constitutional implications. Rule_of_law (2.5): Unilateral tariff imposition tests statutory authority limits under trade laws, though within executive discretion. Separation (3.0): Executive wielding economic policy as foreign policy tool without clear congressional authorization for specific targets/rates. Capture (2.0): Policy serves specific domestic industry interests (dairy) over broader economic welfare. Mechanism modifier 1.15 for policy_change with international scope 1.2 affecting broad population. Severity: durability 1.1 (creates trade precedents), reversibility 0.95 (technically reversible but creates market disruption), precedent 1.15 (normalizes aggressive unilateral trade actions). B-score elevated by extreme percentage (250%) creating media spectacle, multiple simultaneous announcements, and pattern-matching Trump's historical tariff threats. Intentionality moderate (8) given theatrical percentage and timing. Delta +4.59 indicates genuine constitutional concern exceeds hype, but neither threshold reaches 25 for list classification.
Monitor for: (1) legal challenges to tariff authority scope, (2) congressional response or attempts to reclaim trade policy authority, (3) retaliatory measures creating constitutional crisis, (4) whether extreme percentages are negotiating theater vs. implemented policy, (5) economic impact data vs. political messaging divergence.