Introduction
Over the past eight decades, the United States has been a staunch advocate of free trade and an increasingly globalized economy. This approach entails minimal restrictions on international trade, such as tariffs and government subsidies. However, the consequences of free trade have been criticized for various reasons. It has led to the outsourcing of American jobs, increased reliance on foreign countries for essential products and resources, reduced regulations safeguarding the environment and worker safety, weakened labor unions, suppressed wages, undermined smaller producers worldwide, triggered substantial immigration, both legal and illegal, to the United States, and contributed to brain drain in developing nations. Essentially, free trade has negatively impacted the working class both domestically and internationally, while empowering corporations with greater influence over economies, governments, and the average individual.
Contrary to the notion that the United Stat…
