Friday, March 25, 2016

Almost everything you hear from POTUS candidates about trade deals is wrong

The new IGM Panel poll of prominent economists asks about this proposition:
An important reason why many workers in Michigan and Ohio have lost jobs in recent years is because US presidential administrations over the past 30 years have not been tough enough in trade negotiations.
Only 5 percent agree, while 64 percent disagree.  (The rest were uncertain or did not answer.)  A previous poll asked about this statement:
Past major trade deals have benefited most Americans.
On this one, 83 percent agreed, and zero percent disagreed.

So the next time you hear some candidate complain about trade deals, remember that he or she is disagreeing with the vast majority of economists.