Love of Variety? Heterogeneous Responses to Foreign Goods in the Marketplace

• In Event: New Approaches to the Political and Economic Consequences of Trade Exposure

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of exposure to trade, especially foreign goods, on policy preferences and political behavior. Utilizing a novel survey experiment, we exposed respondents to varying market conditions, simulating a realistic consumption experience with well-known brands. Our findings reveal that exposure to foreign brands intensifies hostility towards immigrants, protectionism, and support for Trump among nationalists, while having no impact on cosmopolitans. Our results demonstrate that consumption in an increasingly diversified marketplace can drive a bottom-up process of trade policy polarization. Our study has significant implications for understanding the contemporary political backlash against economic globalization and standard models of international trade based on the ``love of variety."

Authors

• Jude C. Hays, University of Pittsburgh

• Valentina Gonzalez-Rostani, Princeton University