If you're into political economy, check out this article on VOX about free trade. Turns out, not surprisingly, that a lot of people are inherently protectionist. This is partially a result of open economies and the insecurity that follows.

In order to counteract this tendency, governments need to expend resources on things like unemployment insurance, job retraining – you know, the stuff I keep writing about whenever I complain about protectionism? Well, it turns out that this is the best way to win political support for free trade:

Using survey data for 18 countries in Europe and Asia, we found that those who were more risk-averse were most opposed to trade. However, this effect was considerably weaker in countries where government expenditure accounted for a higher share of GDP.

It would be nice if free traders would take this to heart and realize that if they want to win support from their people, they need to take care of them. In the U.S., unfortunately, the party that is most strongly associated with free trade is also the one that traditionally does not support social programs. Need I point out that U.S. politics frustrates the hell out of me sometimes?

Enjoy the VOX article's conclusion, which ends with a nice policy recommendation:

Admittedly, individuals object to free trade for a variety of reasons. For example, survey evidence suggests that some oppose deeper economic links with the rest of the world on what are essentially non-economic, chauvinistic grounds. Within Europe, our results suggest a clear link between pro-European and pro-trade sentiment, which is hardly surprising given the way that European integration has advanced historically. Nonetheless, by providing complementary domestic policies, and by making it clear that individual families will not suffer unduly as economies open up to trade, rich-country governments can help maintain support for the liberal trade policies that will be essential if poorer countries are to continue to export their way to greater prosperity in the decades ahead.