文章基本信息

标题：An Empirical Investigation into the Determinants of Trade Policy Bias
本地全文：下载
作者：Hink, Matthew J. ; Cardwell, Ryan T. ; Lawley, Chad 等
期刊名称：Journal of Food Distribution Research
印刷版ISSN：0047-245X
出版年度：2012
卷号：SUPPL
出版社：Food Distribution Research Society
摘要：There exists an extensive literature that attempts to identify important factors that determine trade policies. An understanding of these important factors could be useful when negotiating trade agreements, especially in agriculture, which is a relatively heavily supported industry. Limao and Panagariya (L&P, 2007) modify Grossman and Helpman’s (G&H, 1994) lobbying model in an attempt to understand why anti-trade bias (as opposed to pro-trade bias, which is predicted by the G&H (1994) model) is the predominant pattern in observed trade policy. L&P (2007) propose that governments seek to reduce inequality between sectors by modifying trade policies in a way that reallocates income from the larger to the smaller sector. We use measures of trade bias calculated in the World Bank Distortions to Agricultural Incentives database (Anderson and Valenzuela, 2008) in an effort to explain trade bias in agriculture. We find little empirical evidence that governments pursue agricultural trade policies to reduce inequality within the agricultural sector. Lagged trade policies are significant determinants of current trade policy, suggesting the presence of policy persistence. We conclude that it is difficult to generalise determinants of trade policy across a wide and long panel of countries, and that specific knowledge of governments’ priorities are required to explain trade bias.
关键词：Agricultural Policy;Trade Policy;Political Economy