The importance of this book, translated for the first time in 1983, lies not so much in List's advocacy of the fiscal policy of protection as in the relatively new doctrines that he put forward. He discussed stages of economic growth, 'productive powers' and the industrialisation of developing regions.

1. Cosmopolitan Economics 2. National Economics 3. Theory of Productive Powers 4. Theory of Value 5. The Differences Between Countries and their National Economies 6. The Dominant nation 7. The Common Interest of all Manufacturing States in Free Trade 8. The Opposition of Countries to the Dominant Nation in Industry, Commerce and Sea Power 9. The Productive Powers of Agriculture in the First Stage of Economic Development 10. The Productive Powers of Agriculture in the Second Stage of Economic Development 11. The Productive Powers of Agriculture in the Third Stage of Economic Development 12. The Productive Powers of Industry 13. The Productive Powers of Industry contd 14. Does the Development of Industry withdraw Capital from Agriculture? 15. Does the Protection of Industry by a Tariff give Manufacturers a Monopoly Prejudicial to the Consumers of the Goods that they make? 16. Are the Interests of Consumers Sacrificed if the Home Market is Dominated by Native Manufacturers? 17. Is it Necessary to Protect Agriculture and, if so, in what Circumstances? 18. Agriculture and Industry in the Fourth Period of Economic Development 19. The Productive Powers of Commerce 20. How do the Interests of Commerce Differ from the Interests of Individual Merchants? 21. Protection by Means of a Tariff 22. Tariffs: Prohibition and Duties on Imports and Exports 23. Tariffs: The Policy of Protection 24. Transition from the System of Prohibitions to the Policy of Protection 25. Transition from the Policy of Protection to the Policy of as Much Free Trade as Possible 26. How Best to Introduce and Foster Free Trade 27. History of England's Economic Policy 28. History of France's Economic Policy 29. History of Germany's Economic Policy 30. Economic Policy of Spain, Portugal and Italy 31. History of the Economic Policy of the USA 32. History of Russia's Economic Policy 33. The Spirit of Different Economic Doctrines in Relation to Tariff Laws 34. The Natural System of Political Economy 35. The Question Posed by the Academy