Political Economy of Individual Preferences over Trade and Foreign Economic Policies

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25380310
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Economic policy
• Research Institution: Kobe City University of Foreign Studies
• Principal Investigator: KAGITANI Koichi 神戸市外国語大学, 外国語学部, 准教授 (50368552)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HARIMAYA Kozo 立命館大学, 経営学部, 教授 (90347732)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 通商政策 / 政治経済学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We first examine the relationship between candidates and voters in publicly discussing whether to conclude a free-trade agreement. Our theoretical and empirical analyses show that candidates' electoral promises about a free trade agreement are related to the business interests and losses in their constituencies, the type of electoral system for which they run, and their ideologies.
Second, we examine how individuals evaluate the likely impact of trade on their personal economic interests and on their national economy. We find that individuals' appreciation of the impact of globalization on their jobs or job opportunities is positively and robustly correlated with their human capital level and their family income. We also confirm that individuals' perception of trade's impact on the economy is positively and robustly correlated with their human capital level and their evaluation of trade's impact on their personal interests. Agricultural workers tend to hold protectionist attitudes.

Free Research Field

国際経済学