Final answer:
In response to the competition from Japanese automakers in the 1970s and 1980s, U.S. car manufacturers sought to limit Japanese car imports to the U.S. President Reagan and other U.S. politicians responded by imposing quotas on Japanese automobile imports to protect the domestic auto industry.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the late 1970s and 1980s, the U.S. car manufacturers sought to limit Japanese car import to the U.S. This was primarily due to the growing popularity of small, fuel-efficient Japanese cars, such as the 1970s Honda Civic, amidst skyrocketing gasoline prices. Consequently, American car manufacturers and workers accused Japan of employing unfair trade practices, which led to an increase in Japanese car imports and a commensurate decline in the U.S. auto industry.
Political figures at the time, including President Reagan, took action by pressuring Japan to limit exports to the U.S. The Reagan Administration, in response to the concerns, imposed a quota on the import of Japanese automobiles in the early 1980s, a clear effort to control trade and protect domestic industries.