In the standard two commodity, two factor Heckscher-Ohlin model identical, homothetic preferences and perfect competition, this perspective implies that if the imported good is produced in a labor-intensive manner, a worker in an economy facing fixed international terms of trade will favor an import duty, while a capitalist will favor free trade. Consequently, under a majority voting rule, protection would seem to be the outcome if there are more worker than capitalist. But if ,as is generally assumed in the model, income redistribution is a costless activity, free trade will chosen , since gainer under free trade(in this case, the capitalist) can always more than under protection. The capitalists will tie the redistribution scheme to the voting outcome.