Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
"From Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations (1776) onward, increasing numbers of economists, bankers, and businessmen argued that people everywhere would be better off if the hand of the mercantilist, protectionist state were removed from economic affairs and commerce and investment operated according to market criteria rather than governmental desires." [Kennedy: Preparing for 21st Century, Kindle Edition, Location 2312-25]