Can you explain a bit more about the context of your question? Are you interested in the intellectual differences between mercantilism and "free-market trade" in the history of economic thought, or the intellectual history behind such international institutions as the GATT/WTO, or empirical studies of correlations behind conflicts between countries? Did your teacher mention any names, such as Thomas Friedman and his 1999 claim that no two countries that both have a McDonald's have fought a war against each other? (sadly Friedman's claim is not an always empirically accurate one)

Note I'm afraid that it might take me a day or three to answer, once I've had some clarification, as I have some commitments this evening.

Hi - we as mods have approved this thread, because while this is a homework question, it is asking for clarification or resources, rather than the answer itself, which is fine according to our rules. This policy is further explained in this Rules Roundtable thread and this META Thread.

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