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Global Issues >> International Trade
International Trade
International Trade in
General
Americans' views of international trade are complex and
cannot be explained as a simple preference for free trade
or protectionism. A strong majority of Americans views trade,
in principle, as something positive and as having significant
benefits for the US economy. However, the majority also has
major reservations about how trade has been put into practice:
Americans show strong concern that, though trade has benefited
business and the wealthy, it has not benefited American workers
and has widened the gap between rich and poor. Americans also
show concern that trade has been harmful to the environment,
to international labor standards, and to poor countries; and
are unhappy because they believe that, while US trade practices
are fair, most other countries' are not. Thus, on balance,
the net feeling about trade is lukewarm at best. However,
if Americans' reservations are addressed, an overwhelming
majority says it would then support free trade--suggesting
that what resistance there is to the growth of trade is derived
from pragmatic, not ideological concerns.
Poll questions about trade produce results that may appear
quite confusing. Some questions may appear to show strong
majority support for trade, while others show majority opposition.
In fact Americans' attitudes toward trade are quite complex
and do not fall inside a simple preference for trade or protectionism,
but rather involve numerous value concerns about how trade
occurs. Many poll questions nonetheless ask Americans to make
an up-or-down judgment about trade. As a result Americans
tend to be highly responsive to the way that the question
is asked, looking for ways to express the nuances of their
attitudes.
Looking carefully at the wording of questions, we do find
a coherent pattern in the public's attitudes. Questions that
ask about trade in principle or about its effects on the economy
show fairly strong support. However, when questions raise
issues about the impact of trade in other dimensions, strong
majorities show strong reservations. When asked to assess
the overall impact of trade or asked to weigh the benefits
of trade against other concerns, support for trade is at best
lukewarm.
Support for Trade in Principle
Reservations About the Effects
of Trade in Practice
On Balance, Feelings About Trade
Lukewarm
Overwhelming Support for Trade when
Workers Are Helped
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