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Ticket to trade: Belgian labour and globalization before 19141

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  • MICHAEL HUBERMAN

Abstract

Standard trade theory, as invoked by political scientists and economists, would anticipate that workers in Belgium, a small Old World country, rich in labour relative to land, were in a good position to benefit from the wave of globalization before 1914. However, wage increases remained modest and ‘labour’ moved slowly towards adopting a free‐trade position. Beginning in 1885, the Belgian labour party backed free trade, but its support was conditional on more and better social legislation. Belgian workers' wellbeing improved in the wave of globalization, but the vehicle was labour and social legislation and not rising wages.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Huberman, 2008. "Ticket to trade: Belgian labour and globalization before 19141," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 61(2), pages 326-359, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ehsrev:v:61:y:2008:i:2:p:326-359
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0289.2007.00396.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert C. Feenstra & Gene M. Grossman & Douglas A. Irwin (ed.), 1996. "The Political Economy of Trade Policy: Papers in Honor of Jagdish Bhagwati," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262061864, April.
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    7. Mares,Isabela, 2003. "The Politics of Social Risk," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521827416, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Matthias Morys & Guillaume Daudin & Kevin H. O'Rourke, 2008. "Globalization, 1870-1914," Economics Series Working Papers 395, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    2. Kevin Hjortshøj O'Rourke, 2018. "Economic history and contemporary challenges to globalization," Oxford Economic and Social History Working Papers _167, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    3. Huberman, Michael & Meissner, Christopher M. & Oosterlinck, Kim, 2017. "Technology and Geography in the Second Industrial Revolution: New Evidence from the Margins of Trade," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 77(1), pages 39-89, March.
    4. Becuwe, Stéphane & Blancheton, Bertrand & Meissner, Christopher M., 2021. "The French (Trade) Revolution of 1860: Intra-Industry Trade and Smooth Adjustment," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 81(3), pages 688-722, September.
    5. Giordani, Paolo E. & Mariani, Fabio, 2022. "Unintended consequences: Can the rise of the educated class explain the revival of protectionism?," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    6. O’Rourke, Kevin Hjortshøj, 2019. "Economic History and Contemporary Challenges to Globalization," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 79(2), pages 356-382, June.
    7. Guillaume Daudin & Matthias Morys & Kevin H. O’Rourke, 2008. "Europe and Globalization, 1870-1914," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2008-17, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE).
    8. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/6145 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Meissner, Christopher M., 2014. "Growth from Globalization? A View from the Very Long Run," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 8, pages 1033-1069, Elsevier.
    10. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/6145 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. VAN DIJCK, Maarten & TRUYTS, Tom, 2014. "The agricultural invasion and the political economy of agricultural trade policy in Belgium, 1875-1900," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2014002, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).

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