Conventional wisdom holds that free trade is economically beneficial to nations. But this does not prevent industries and interest groups from lobbying their governments for protection, which creates a fear of electoral backlash among politicians hoping to promote free trade. The Limits of Protectionism demonstrates how governments can attain those economic benefits while avoiding the political costs.
Lusztig explores the reasons governments make the potentially dangerous decision to loosen trade restrictions. Lusztig uses examples in Britain, the United States, Canada, and Mexico to construct his own explanatory model.
