ID | 131002 |
Title Proper | Trade policy, economic interests, and party politics in a developing country |
Other Title Information | the political economy of CAFTA-DR |
Language | ENG |
Author | Hicks, Raymond ; Milner, Helen V ; Tingley, Dustin |
Publication | 2014. |
Summary / Abstract (Note) | Developing countries have increasingly opened their economies to trade. Research about trade policy in developed countries focuses on a bottom-up process by identifying economic preferences of domestic groups. We know less about developing countries. We analyze how economic and political variables influenced Costa Rican voters in a referendum on CAFTA-DR, an international trade agreement. We find little support for Stolper-Samuelson models of economic preferences, but more support for specific factor models. We also isolate the effects of political parties on the referendum, controlling for many economic factors; we document how at least one party influenced voters and this made the difference for CAFTA-DR passage. Politics, namely parties using their organizational strength to cue and frame messages for voters, influenced this important trade policy decision. Theories about trade policy need to take into account top-down political factors along with economic interests. |
`In' analytical Note | International Studies Quarterly Vol.58, NO.1; March 2014: p.106-117 |
Journal Source | International Studies Quarterly Vol.58, NO.1; March 2014: p.106-117 |
Key Words | Economic Policy ; Trade Policy ; Trade Economy ; Economic Interest ; Party Politics ; Democracy ; Developing Countries ; Economic Development ; Political Economy ; Economic Alliance ; Economic Cooperation ; CAFTA-DR ; Costa Rican ; Economic Preference ; International Trade Agreement - ITA ; Organizational Strength ; Political Factors |