Explaining Free Trade and Convincing Its Critics

Further to Tom Palmer’s illuminating post entitled “How to Explain Free Trade in Less Than Three Minutes,” let me add that, occasionally, skeptical professors, teachers, and our favorite protectionists muster up retorts to our sensible arguments. And sometimes further elaboration and exposition are necessary before we can convincingly dispense with those objections.


For those occasions, you will be happy to have been acquainted with the work of the Cato Institute’s Center for Trade Policy Studies, which has been producing arrows for free trade quivers for 12 years. Given the persistence of myths that feed trade’s skeptics, eradication of protectionism requires that our arguments appeal to those who can be convinced in three minutes, as well as those who may be more stubborn.