A lot of gains in standard living over the last 20, 30 years are driven by a handful of countries. China and India being the most dramatic examples. Empirically, free trade looks like it's a positive for economic growth but not as much as I would expect if you look at it empirically.
Russ Roberts interviews Robert Barro, Harvard University Professor and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow, on the economics of growth, what the developed world can do to help poor people around the world, and the role of US assets and the dollar in world finance.