ABSTRACT
Although the basic assumption that countries gain from trade is accepted by most economists, this has not consistently translated into comparable political support for an open trading system. As you found in Chapter 6, a wide variety of trade barriers exist in practice. Corporations, industry associations, and labor unions adversely affected by foreign competition frequently lobby for protection, often going to great lengths to demonstrate why they represent a special case or national interest that warrants government intervention. They appear to be quite successful!
