Working Papers
A Network Approach to Geopolitics
Economics Working Paper 26127
October 16, 2026
Published: February 14, 2019
The consequences of free trade are very similar to what happens when a new technology is invented. In both cases goods and services get better and more affordable for everyone, new jobs are created, and some jobs are replaced. So, the next time someone proposes new trade barriers, imagine instead that they had proposed outlawing a new invention.
Discussion Questions
- What are some other benefits of free trade?
- Should technology be regulated to protect certain jobs from becoming obsolete?
Additional Resources
- Watch “The Benefits of International Trade,” available here.
- Read “The Case for Free Trade” by Milton Friedman, Rose D. Friedman, available here.
- Read “Defending Free Trade” by Richard A. Epstein. Available here.
- On “John Taylor On The Global Economy,” John Taylor discusses trade policy and capital markets. Available here.
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