1. Ambivalence About International Trade in Open- and Closed-ended Survey Responses
- Author:
- Arturo Chang, Thomas Ferguson, Jacob Rothschild, and Benjamin I. Page
- Publication Date:
- 09-2021
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET)
- Abstract:
- Spontaneous, open-ended survey responses can sometimes better reveal what is actually on people’s minds than small sets of forced-choice, closed questions. Our analysis of closed questions and trade-related open-ended responses to 2016 ANES “likes” and “dislikes” prompts indicate that Americans held considerably more complex, more ambivalent, and – in many cases – more negative views of international trade than has been apparent in studies that focus only on closed-ended responses. This paper suggests that contrast between open- and closed-question data may help explain why the effectiveness of Donald Trump’s appeals to trade resentments surprised many observers.
- Topic:
- International Trade and Finance, Public Opinion, Free Trade, Donald Trump, and Data
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus and United States of America