HENRY OLSEN: Setting the Record Straight About the White Working Class. “Levinson shows that large majorities of working class whites think increased immigration is bad for America and favor increased border security rather than immigration reform. But they also strongly oppose free trade agreements. Pew found that the poorest and least-educated part of the white working class, labeled ‘Disaffecteds,’ think free trade agreements are bad for the United States by a two-to-one margin. These people are being pressed by competition from foreigners at home (immigration) and abroad (free trade), and they don’t like it. Conservatives therefore often do not gain the political advantage on immigration that they seek because their free trade views convince working class whites that conservatives are not on their side.”

A major difficulty with free trade is that it isn’t. If the government ties your hands with draconian regulations, then you find it hard to compete with countries that have greater economic liberty.