MEMO TO THE PRESIDENT URGENT: How to Be a Free Trade Democrat The Democratic presidential nominee must defeat misconceptions about globalization in order to forge a new trade policy that will both boost economic growth and protect workers. TO: The U.S. Democratic Party’s Presidential Nominee FROM: Gene Sperling RE: A Progressive Free Trade Policy Trade is not much fun, particularly if you’re a Democratic presidential candidate. Many of your key supporters—unions, blue-collar workers, and student activists—oppose market liberalization, and many of your advocates in the business community will congratulate you for your courage only to disappear come election time. In addition, although the benefits of trade—including growth, innovation, higher-quality jobs, and lower prices—are often diffuse, the losses are usually concentrated among hardworking families who are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Worse still, virtually no one seems to want to build a truly pro-growth and progressive consensus on trade. Too many on the left give the false impression that a better economic future is possible simply by inhibiting global competition. Too many politicians on the right are so stuck in a “less government is always better” mode that they refuse to consider how smart government policies can ensure that trade expansion raises the tide that lifts all boats—both in the United States and among U.S. trading partners. The next U.S. president must break this ideological gridlock. Only a president willing to cut through political, regional, and ideological divisions and speak with brutal honesty to all sides can move the country forward together. Your political advisors will want you to stay away from such a difficult issue on the campaign trail, but you need to outline your vision for both the voters and your future governing mandate. Embrace the...