Churchill and the Working-Class Case for Free Trade

Protectionism seems to have become the dominant economic ideology of Washington, DC. Although politicians may squabble about particular tariffs, the leading figures of both parties have rejected free trade for neo-mercantilist policies aimed at, they claim, reigniting American industry. But as countless economists have shown, the utopian vision of autarky that most strident protectionists advocate has no basis in reality. In fact, the latest round of tariffs threatens to throw the entire American economy into a recession—or worse.

If protectionism causes such disaster, why does it remain so popular? In a recent piece for National Review, Joseph Palange insightfully argues that it is because protectionists appeal directly to the working class. The transition from an industrial to a digital economy has devastated working-class places like Detroit or West Virginia, and falling back on sound economic theory will not answer the protectionists’ emotional appeals. Palange concludes that “free traders need to frame their arguments differently” and openly address the valid concerns of people who feel like they have lost something due to globalization.

One model for making this different kind of case is Winston Churchill. Not only was he the West’s savior from totalitarianism, he was also an ardent proponent of free trade. But unlike many of the bloodless economists who command the debate over tariffs today, Churchill was more likely to frame his opposition to protectionism in the romantic terms of “Tory Democracy.” He understood that, more than promoting mere economic efficiency, trade was a way to preserve and even advance a traditional way of life. That position, along with his commonsensical approach to oratory, made Churchill a hero to working-class people—and helped him win them over to the cause of free enterprise.

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