It seems that most rhetoric from the average worker now a days is to have mercantilism. It is seen by many as a way to protect jobs and keep the even foreigners away from them.
What Mercantilism is summed to be is economic nationalism, where the government heavily regulates trade with other nations. Mercantilism consisted of forbidding colonies to trade with other nations, monopolizing markets with staple port, banning the export of gold and silver, even for payments, forbidding, trade to be carried in foreign ships, subsidies on exports, promoting manufacturing through research or direct subsidies, limiting wages, maximizing the use of domestic resources, and restricting domestic consumption through non-tariff barriers to trade.
However, the biggest flaw of Mercantilism was its lack of efficiency. For example, due to not importing goods, you are indirectly or directly subsidizing inefficient industries. Inefficient industries tend to be produce goods at a higher cost and will therefore cost the regular person more money. Other issues include giving the government more power to regulate which would stifle competition.
Of course I could write a thesis on this, but I felt like giving a small blurb.