Doctoral Dissertation Research: International Trade Policy in the Age of Globalization

New York University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

The last 30 years have witnessed a major transformation in American Trade Policy. Until the 1970s, the U.S. government used high tariffs and import quotas to protect troubled industries. Starting in the mid-1970s, those were replaced with 'fair trade' policies, a modified form of protectionism. However, government success in including these new policies under GATT has varied considerably across industries. This project attempts to explain why the U.S. government has changed its trade policy preferences, and why its ability to turn these preferences into official policies has varied. In so doing, it sheds light on how states deal with global forces, international relations, and domestic institutions in developing policy. To reach these goals, the project gathers data from archival and secondary sources, such as government reports, trade journals, Congressional hearings, GATT publications, and interviews with key figures, to compare trade policy both over time and across industries. The over-time component compares trade policies and international agreements formed in the 1960s/1970s with those formed in the 1980s. The cross-industry component compares policy trajectories in textiles, steel, and civil aircraft -- three industries that have gone through economic difficulties and experienced a significant shift in the trade policies affecting their products.