The COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine, simmering US-China tensions, and rising global populism have led to globalization facing renewed attention-and criticism-from politicians and pundits across the political spectrum. Like any market phenomenon, the free movement of people, things, money, and ideas across natural or political borders is imperfect and often disruptive. But it has also produced undeniable benefits-for the United States and the world-that no other system can match. And it's been going on since the dawn of recorded history.

The original essays compiled in this volume offer a diverse range of perspectives on globalization-what it is, what it has produced, what its alternatives are, and what people think about it-and offer a strong, proactive case for more global integration in the years ahead. Covering the basic economic and political ideas and historical facts underlying globalization, rebutting the most common arguments against globalization today, and educating readers on the intersection of globalization and our societies and cultures-from where we live to what clothes we wear and what foods we eat-Defending Globalization demonstrates the essential humanity of international trade and migration, and why the United States and the rest of the world need more of it.

Empowering the New American Worker identifies what Cato Institute scholars believe to be the most important market-oriented policies for today's American worker, covering a broad array of issues including education, housing, remote work, health care, child care, transportation, criminal justice, and licensing.

Since at least 2016, policymakers on both the right and the left have lamented the plight of the American worker and promised to fix it. Unfortunately, the most common pro-worker policies today -- heavy on government intervention in labor, trade, or other markets -- suffer from critical flaws. They overlook the numerous laws and regulations that distort markets, harm American workers, and breed economic sclerosis. They ignore market‐based solutions that can boost workers' independence, mobility, wealth, resilience, and quality of life-all without the inevitable economic and political problems that come with more spending and bureaucracy. And, perhaps most importantly, they target an American worker that often bears little resemblance to the U.S. workforce's complex and ever‐changing reality, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent trends in manufacturing, remote work, independent work, globalization, and other areas argue for new policies for a New American Worker. Instead of promoting a certain kind of job, promising cradle-to-grave protection from disruption, or presuming that the employment and lifestyle trends of today will last beyond tomorrow, policymakers should seek to maximize Americans' autonomy, mobility, and living standards.

Each chapter of Empowering the New American Worker identifies the problems facing American workers and suggests pro-market ways for federal, state, and local officials to better address these challenges. These policies will give individuals the freedom and resources they need to be the American worker they want to be -- not the one many policymakers think they should be -- and to be happier and more prosperous in the process.