Sources of Authoritarian Support for Liberal Internationalism

• In Event: Political Economy in China and Vietnam -- Domestic and International

Abstract

We know relatively little about the factors affecting public support for globalism in authoritarian contexts. This paper explores whether and how America’s raising of trade barriers and policy pressures on China influence public support for open international economic policies in China. To do so, we draw on two original survey experiments fielded in China, one focused on technological upgrading and one on import taxes. We posit that reminding Chinese citizens about recent US policy actions raises opposition to open engagement in these areas. However, citizens that were reminded about China’s WTO commitments express higher levels of support for cooperative trade and technology policies. We expect these differences hold even among members of the Communist Party, a group most likely to be strongly nationalist. The paper suggests that the adoption of protectionist policies in the United States can undermine support for the liberal international economic order with key foreign trading partners. The analysis further points to a "WTO effect" on Chinese public opinion, addressing debates over whether WTO entry has had any liberalizing impact within China.

Authors

• David A. Steinberg, Johns Hopkins University

• Yeling Tan, University of Oregon

• Daniel McDowell, Syracuse University