International free trade has long divided American politics, with lawmakers’ views shifting over time in response to war, economic forces, and cultural change.
International Free Trade refers to open markets between nations without tariffs, subsidies, or other restrictions on market items. According to a poll done by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, 34% of Republicans and 74% of Democrats, as of April 2025, are supporters of free trade. This amounts to 55% of the U.S. population that believes in pursuing free trade policies. In this same poll, the researchers asked whether the United States should reduce trade and seek greater self-sufficiency, to which 51% of Republicans and 13% of Democrats agreed.
The Democratic Stance on International Free Trade
In 2025, the party that most strongly supports international free trade is the Democratic Party, which believes that international free trade policy benefits many sectors of American life. When asked in the Chicago Council’s 2025 poll whether international trade was good for the U.S. economy and for consumers in America, 87% of Democrats answered yes. When asked separately if they believed international trade was beneficial for creating jobs in America, about 78% said yes, pointing to a figure of about 10% of the Democratic Party who believe in free trade policy benefits but are also hesitant about possible negative effects on the American job market.
Additionally, the current Democratic Party’s majority view is that tariffs ultimately raise costs for American consumers, who are likely to bear price increases passed along by overseas manufacturers. In response to President Donald Trump’s new tariff policies, some Democrats have criticized the specifics while stopping short of rejecting tariffs outright. Representative Chris Deluzio has argued that a blanket anti-tariff stance within the party has been misguided for decades, and Representative Ro Khanna has voiced similar views, noting that a minority of Democrats see at least some value in tariffs.
Because most Democrats believe higher import tariffs raise consumer costs—and only a small share express doubts about free trade’s impact on jobs—the Democratic Party holds the strongest pro–international free trade position in 2025.
The Republican Stance on International Free Trade
In contrast, the Republican Party, under Donald Trump, more often backs policies that restrict free trade. While many Republicans support some level of regulation on international trade, the party is split: 34% say international free trade is the most beneficial approach.
As of 2025, the Republican Party is split between younger voters who support the newer protectionist policies of the Trump administration and older Republicans who are staunchly anti-tariff, such as Senator Mitch McConnell. Those in the first camp cite job losses in their communities and argue that tariffs protect the working class. Republican supporters of free trade, like many Democrats, counter that tariffs ultimately raise prices for consumers.
The main reason for this divide is because of the semi-recent transition away from free trade in the Republican Party due to the ascension of Donald Trump to the presidency. The Republican Party, until Trump’s first term in 2017, remained an outspoken voice in support of international free trade, and those who remain in this category now constitute 34% of Republicans who dissent with the new protectionist policies.
History of International Free Trade in America and Prominent Stances
In the early nineteenth century, before the Civil War, the Northern states supported tariffs to protect their industry, while Southern states supported international free trade for their exports. Following the Northern victory in the Civil War, there was a long period of policies passed by the North, sometimes called the Gilded Age of Tariffs.
In 1913, the ratification of the 16th Amendment created the permanent legality of the income tax, which caused the Underwood Tariff of 1913. This marked the first instance of a significant lowering of tariffs after the Civil War because the government no longer needed the funding due to the legalization of the income tax.
At the beginning of the Great Depression, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 was passed under the guise of protecting farmers and domestic industry, but instead triggered retaliatory tariffs from other nations. To correct this mistake, which damaged global trade, the Reciprocal Trade Act of 1934 was passed, giving the President the ability to change tariff rates and negotiate bilateral trade agreements. This gave the president, and de facto party leader, the ability to change tariff rates and, therefore, use tariffs to the advantage of their political party.
The term “laissez-faire” describes a free market system where no external factors influence supply, demand, or prices. Popularized by Scottish philosopher Adam Smith in his 1776 book, “The Wealth of Nations,” laissez-faire is founded upon the idea that consumer interests drive all dimensions of the market and define where resource allocation is most efficient — a phenomenon Smith called “The Invisible Hand.”
Many of the current conceptualizations of international free trade are heavily influenced by the economic insights of Smith and remain contentious points of disagreement within international communities, as well as American politics and economics. American economist and student of Adam Smith, Milton Friedman, voiced support for laissez-faire style international free trade from the Republican Party’s side in the mid-20th century.
Nobel laureate Milton Friedman railed against tariffs and advocated for unilateral free trade, arguing that it was the best economic choice, enabling other nations to purchase American imports and thereby supporting the American workforce. Friedman looked at tariffs as an “insult to injury” between two nations and thought them an unnecessary and unstrategic trade maneuver.
A British economist, who predated Milton Friedman, examined the questions surrounding international free trade and came to a much different conclusion. John Maynard Keynes influenced economics with his concept of full employment and a countercyclical structure of monetary and fiscal policy. Keynes wrote that by reducing interest rates and creating jobs through spending on public projects, the government could drastically reduce unemployment and increase the standard of living. This idea would later influence Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, which helped end the Great Depression.
Keynes firmly believed that international free trade without tariffs would inevitably lead to trade imbalances that negatively impact domestic employment, and that goods should be made domestically whenever it is possible and convenient.
Throughout American history, both political parties have at one point agreed with Friedman or Keynes, depending on certain political and economic factors. Now, the subject of international free trade has once again entered the political arena and the American vernacular with the 2024 election of Donald Trump, who campaigned extensively on the increase of tariffs on all imports.
International Free Trade Policies Going Forward
Using the information we currently have regarding the different political party stances on international free trade, it is safe to assume that the debate will continue. While the current administration holds protectionist positions surrounding international free trade, not many other Republican career politicians appear to adamantly hold this stance.
Those who believe President Donald Trump’s trade restriction policies have benefited the country are likely to support additional protectionist measures, aligning with a predominantly younger cohort of Republicans who see tariffs as protecting American businesses and jobs. This bloc may grow in response to recent policy shifts, but it will continue to face resistance from many Republicans and from most Democrats.
On the other side, the Democratic Party will likely continue to support international free trade as a policy, although some Democrats seem open to opportune instances of using tariffs, such as Senator Bernie Sanders. Those in the Democratic Party who see tariffs as contextually useful appear to constitute a marginal percentage of the party, as the majority see tariffs as an extra consumer cost.
The debate concerning international free trade and its effect on the American economy will likely continue within the Republican Party itself and between Republicans and Democrats.