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Policymakers & Trade Legislation. Robert Lawrence. Surveys: An Opportunity to explore. Good Theory: Occams Razor: Requires Tractability. Good Empirical Work: Requires good theory and structure. Good Survey’s: Opportunities to explore. What is Trade Policy.
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Policymakers & Trade Legislation. Robert Lawrence
Surveys: An Opportunity to explore • Good Theory: Occams Razor: Requires Tractability. • Good Empirical Work: Requires good theory and structure. • Good Survey’s: Opportunities to explore
What is Trade Policy • Conventional framing: Tariff changes. • Narrow Economic Interests. • Trade policy today: • Agreements: • Multi-Issue. • Rules
Demand Supply Demand & Supply of Trade Policy Policymaker preferences constituent preferences Interest groups/parties Institutions Economic Environment
Constituent Preferences • Economic Interests: • Consumption benefits. • Factor ownership. • Other Values: (Equity, Identity, Community) • Knowledge Formation. • Risk Aversion
Interest-Groups/Parties • Organizing to influence: • Costs of Collective Action. • Benefits. • Instruments: • Money. • Persuasion. • Information/Media • Organization. • Alliances
Policy-Makers • Preferences: • Personal Interests. • Institutional/Organizational • Constituent Interests. • General Interests. • Perceptions. • Symbolism.
Institutions • Trade-Making Authority. USA vs EU • Source of Power. • Elections: Districts, Party Discipline, Frequency.
Perceptions, • International trade: gets credit and blame. • Trade votes: not only about trade: e.g NAFTA, China PNTR. • Level Playing Field
Policies, • Costs of Policies Change: • --e.g. environmental rules. • Other regulations.
Process: Only Game in Town? • Changing constraints on domestic policies. • Changing policy agendas. Winners& losers in process • Changing responsibilities for trade and domestic policies. legislative committees, regulators. • Changing relationships to international institutions. • Interest groups respond. • Legislators respond.
Implications. • Ask about effects on interests but also perceptions and process. • Role of money versus knowledge. • Ask how decisions are made as well as why. • Explore relationships between positions and preferences.