Social Standards in EU and US Trade Agreements
Research questions and arguments in briefSocial standards in international tradeReview of existing literatureContributions to existing literatureSo what?Book outlineNotesReferencesThe EU and U.S. approaches to social standards in trade An overviewThe evolution of social standards in U.S. PTAsThe evolution of social standards in EU PTAsWho has stricter social standards?NotesReferencesTheory and methodologyTheoretical frameworkThe politics of social standards in PTAs: traditional vs. new trade issuesSocial standards and actors’ preferencesThe causes: a principal-agent theoryHypothesis 1: Agents institutionally insulated from principals will be able to shape PTAs’ social standards, irrespective of societal interestsThe effects: fear of sanctions vs. learningHypothesis 2: U.S. provisions will have positive ex ante effects due to a fear of future sanctions, while EUprovisions will be effective ex post due to learning by domestic actors in PTA partnersAlternative explanationsMethodologyVariablesCase selectionDataNotesReferencesThe causes of social standards in EU PTAsThe EU’s trade policy approachSocial standards in EU PTAs with Chile, South Korea, and ColombiaEU actors’ preferencesSocietal actorsLegislatorsExecutivesAgreement designThe principal-agent dynamic in the EUThe logic of delegationSocietal actors’ behaviorPrincipals’ behaviorAgent’s behaviorBargaining powerConclusionNotesReferencesThe causes of social standards in U.S. PTAsThe U.S. trade policy approachSocial standards in U.S. PTAs with Chile, Colombia, and South KoreaU.S. actors’ preferencesSocietal actorsLegislatorsExecutivesAgreement designPrincipal-agent dynamic in the U.S.The logic of delegationSocietal actors’ behaviorPrincipals’ behaviorAgent’s behaviorBargaining powerConclusionNotesReferencesThe effects of social standards in EU and U.S. PTAsThe effects of social standards in ChileImplementing social standards in the U.S.-Chile PTAImplementing social standards in the EU-Chile PTAThe effects of social standards in ColombiaImplementing social standards in the U.S.-Colombia PTAImplementing social standards in the EU-Colombia PTAThe effects of social standards in South KoreaImplementing social standards in the U.S.-South Korea PTAImplementing social standards in the EU-South Korea PTAThe effects of social standards in shadow casesConclusionNotesReferencesSummary of findingsEvaluation of alternative explanationsAvenues for future researchPolicy implicationsSocial standards in recent PTAsSocial standards and the future of free tradeNotesReferences
