Liberals, Labor, and the Democratic Party’s Volatile Relationship with Free Trade

The Forum ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Kucik ◽  
Ashley Moraguez
Keyword(s):  
Free Trade ◽  
House Of Representatives ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Important Influence ◽  
Campaign Contributions ◽  
Worker Rights ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ideological Differences ◽  
Democratic Support ◽  
Trade Partners

AbstractDemocratic House members exhibit wide variation in their support for free trade, while Republicans are relatively stable in their support. What explains these trends? There are two important factors that explain trade votes in the House of Representatives. First, we argue that ideology is an important influence on members’ preferences over a wide range of issues, including free trade. Second, free trade directly affects labor through its effects on income, employment, and workers’ rights. We argue that liberals are uniquely susceptible to labor concerns, and that their votes are determined in large part by these considerations for both electoral and ideological reasons. We analyze the 11 most recent trade agreement ratification votes in the House. The results show that ideological differences explain the gap in support between the parties. Moreover, liberal members are much more sensitive to concerns for labor, measured as district unemployment, campaign contributions from labor organizations, and trade partners’ records of worker rights protections, which explains the variation in Democratic support across agreements. Taken together, the findings have implications for the upcoming vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which has already generated debates regarding its effects on workers.

The Strategic Timing of Position Taking in Congress: A Study of the North American Free Trade Agreement

1997 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 324-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier ◽  
Laura W. Arnold ◽  
Christopher J. W. Zorn
Keyword(s):  
Free Trade ◽  
North American ◽  
House Of Representatives ◽  
Free Trade Agreement ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Vote Model ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
The North ◽  
Timing Model

A critical element of decision making is the timing of choices political actors make; often when a decision is made is as critical as the decision itself. We posit a dynamic model of strategic position announcement based on signaling theories of legislative politics. We suggest that members who receive clear signals from constituents, interest groups, and policy leaders will announce their positions earlier. Those with conflicting signals will seek more information, delaying their announcement. We test several expectations by examining data on when members of the House of Representatives announced their positions on the North American Free Trade Agreement. We also contrast the timing model with a vote model, and find that there are meaningful differences between the factors influencing the timing of position announcements and vote choice. Our research allows analysts to interpret the process leading up to the House action and the end state of that process.

scholarly journals China looks to ASEAN for closer ties, freer trade, and more harmonious relations: a Commentary

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 91-103
Author(s):  
Haiying Feng ◽  
Jingji Wu ◽  
Victor R. Squires
Keyword(s):  
Free Trade ◽  
Yellow River ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Beibu Gulf ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Water Port ◽  
History Of ◽  
Asean Countries ◽  
Trade Port ◽  
Trade Partners

This paper is in three main parts. Firstly, we summarize key features of the history of trade relationships between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Association of South East Asian countries (ASEAN). This includes a brief examination of the different visions held by ASEAN and PRC and the implications for the various trade partners. In the second part we turn our focus to the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GAZR) that is on the shores of the South China Sea and a key region being developed as the Beibu Gulf Economic Rim. The port city of Qinzhou is the nearest deep-water port to the ASEAN countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines etc and lies at the eastern end of the Southern Transport Corridor (STC) that links Lanzhou on the Yellow River in NW China, to the coast. Finally, we present a cameo on Qinzhou’s Free Trade Port Areas and their role in the ASEAN–China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA).

scholarly journals Pemanfaatan perjanjian perdagangan internasional melalui pemberdayaan UMKM oleh FTA Center Jakarta periode 2018-2019

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-160
Author(s):  
Surjadi Basuki
Keyword(s):  
International Trade ◽  
Free Trade ◽  
Free Trade Agreement ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Export Market ◽  
Strategic Trade ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Trade Partners ◽  
And Training

Indonesia is significantly intensifying the international-trade agreement with several strategic trade partners. Some said that the agreement would lead to the increasing flow of imported goods to Indonesia. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Center Jakarta indeed aimed at empowering Indonesian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to enjoy the benefits of more open export opportunities. Through coaching clinic and personal consultation method, the SMEs acquire knowledge on available export opportunities and training to improve the skills that suitable to their needs. Within a year of the empowerment program, around 100 SMEs have been reaching positive achievements that increase their confidences in penetrating export market or expanding their export activities.

US pressure will force trade concessions from Japan

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Free Trade ◽  
Bilateral Trade ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Trade Agreements ◽  
International Organisations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bilateral Trade Agreement ◽  
Will Force ◽  
Trade Partners

Subject Talks on a Japan-US trade agreement. Significance US President Donald Trump's administration is pressing Tokyo to conclude a bilateral trade agreement, threatening new tariffs if negotiations do not bring the results it wants. Impacts Trump will apply unprecedentedly strong pressure and intimidation, with the threat of punitive import tariffs a major tool. Japan will orchestrate calls for free trade by other governments under US tariff pressure, the WTO and other international organisations. Tokyo will deepen cooperation with more pro-free trade partners, especially within the trade agreements it has concluded or will soon.

Free Trade and Gravity Model

2020 ◽  
pp. 60-90
Author(s):  
Nerajda Feruni ◽  
Eglantina Hysa
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Model ◽  
Free Trade ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Economic Thought ◽  
Trade Flows ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Central European ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Trade Partners

The purpose of this chapter is to build and explain the Gravity Model for the trade flows of Albania and 15 of its trade partners for the period of 2001-2016, both theoretically and empirically. The theoretical development of the subject gives an overview of the economic thought over the years regarding the concept of free trade, its benefits and threats, the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), and the Gravity Model in order to be able to explain and interpret the patterns of trade between countries. The econometrical analysis illustrates the impact of gross domestic product (GDP) of partner countries, the distance between them, and CEFTA has on the trade flows of Albania. The Gravity Model built in this study supports the theoretical approach and it shows how GDP has positively affected trade flows, while distance has negatively affected trade flows. The impact of CEFTA is insignificant.

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