ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the intellectual developments that led to such a strong consensus in favor of free trade among economists. It also explores some reasons for the less enthusiastic embrace of free trade among the general public. International trade has become an important part of economic activity in today's global, interconnected world, and it has been a path out of poverty for many countries. Despite the positive views of international trade held by most economists, free trade policies remain controversial. In the European Middle Ages, religious connotations were sometimes attached to international trade, usually along the lines of suggesting harmony and cooperation among the people of the world. The Stolper-Samuelson theorem shows that free trade in international markets benefits the abundant factor and harms the scarce one because the abundant factor of production experiences an increase in its payment for productive efforts.
