 | Risking Free Trade : The Politics of Trade in Britain, Canada, Mexico, and the United States There are few issues as politically explosive as the liberalization of trade, as recent controversies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico have shown. While loosening trade restrictions may make sense for a nation's economy as a whole, it typically alienates powerful vested interests. Those interests can exact severe political costs for the government that enacts change. So why accept the risk? Michael Lusztig, professor of political science at Southern Methodist University, is the author of The Limits of Protectionism . |
