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Free Trade Agreements and the Consolidation of Democracy

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  • Xuepeng Liu
  • Emanuel Ornelas

Abstract

We study the relationship between participation in free trade agreements (FTAs) and the sustainability of democracy. Our model shows that FTAs can critically reduce the incentive of authoritarian groups to seek power by destroying protectionist rents, thus making democracies last longer. This gives governments in unstable democracies an extra motive to form FTAs. Hence, greater democratic instability induces governments to boost their FTA commitments. In a dataset with 116 countries over 1960-2007, we find robust support for these predictions. They help to rationalize the rapid simultaneous growth of regionalism and of worldwide democratization since the late 1980s.

Suggested Citation

  • Xuepeng Liu & Emanuel Ornelas, 2013. "Free Trade Agreements and the Consolidation of Democracy," CESifo Working Paper Series 4103, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_4103
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    regionalism; rent destruction; political regimes; trade liberalization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • F53 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - International Agreements and Observance; International Organizations
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration

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