The Free-Trade Regime: Oligarchy in Action

Free trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership undermine democracy and sovereignty.
by Moritz Laurer

The United States is not really a democracy. That’s the (simplified) conclusion of a recent study from Princeton University. Instead, economic elites and special interest groups enjoy tremendous sway in Washington, while “the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.”

Let’s put this assertion to the test by looking at the concrete example of free trade agreements and their relation to democracy and national sovereignty.