The Economics and Ideology of Free Trade: A Historical Review

Controversies about issues of trade have raged from long before the so-called "Battle in Seattle" pit protestors against the World Trade Organization. Gomes (formerly Reader in International Economics, Middlesex U., UK) traces the course of these controversies among professional economists. He first explores the development of trade and regulation theory in broad terms from the Age of Mercantilism to the present day. He then identifies some of the great historical debates over free trade and examines the arguments among economists on different sides of the issue. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR