Rules of Engagement: Elite Cues and Public Support for IOs

• In Event: Public Opinion towards Conflict and Cooperation in International Relations

Abstract

What shapes public and elite perceptions of international organizations (IOs)? Politicians increasingly use aggressive (i.e., forceful or belligerent) rhetoric to describe their countries' relationship with IOs. While existing work often considers such language to be cheap talk, we posit that the tone of political rhetoric matters. More aggressive cues promoting disengagement from IOs should reduce support of these organizations among both public and elite audiences, and especially among conservatives. Focusing on the World Trade Organization, we find evidence for our contentions through an original survey experiment administered to a diverse sample of Americans as well as an elite study embedded in the Teaching, Research, and International Policy project's 2022 survey wave. We also leverage hand-coded media analysis of elite rhetoric about the WTO, since the founding of the organization.

Authors

• Ryan Brutger, University of California, Berkeley

• Richard Clark, University of Notre Dame

• Kelebogile Zvobgo, College of William & Mary