Rules Versus Discretion in Trade Policy: an Empirical Analysis

59 Pages Posted: 31 Mar 2011 Last revised: 30 Sep 2022

See all articles by Robert W. Staiger

Robert W. Staiger

Stanford University; University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Guido Tabellini

Bocconi University - Department of Economics; Bocconi University - IGIER - Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research; Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute for Economic Research (CESifo)

Date Written: June 1990

Abstract

We test empirically for evidence that government tariff-setting behavior depends on the degree of discretion with which policy-makers are endowed. We do this by studying government tariff choices under two distinct environments. One environment is that of tariffs set under the Escape Clause (Section 201 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974). We argue that these decisions afford the government with ample opportunity to reoptimize, and with correspondingly little ability to commit. The other environment is the Tokyo Round of GATT negotiations and the determination of the set of exclusions from the general formula cuts. We argue that these decisions provided the government with a much diminished opportunity to reoptimize, and with a correspondingly greater ability to commit. Comparing decisions made in these two environments allows us to ask whether the degree of policy discretion has a measurable impact on trade policy decisions. Our findings suggest that it does.

Suggested Citation

Staiger, Robert W. and Tabellini, Guido, Rules Versus Discretion in Trade Policy: an Empirical Analysis (June 1990). NBER Working Paper No. w3382, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1799823

Robert W. Staiger (Contact Author)

Stanford University ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Economics ( email )

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608-262-2265 (Phone)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Guido Tabellini

Bocconi University - Department of Economics ( email )

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Milan, 20136
Italy

Bocconi University - IGIER - Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research ( email )

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Milan, 20136
Italy

Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute for Economic Research (CESifo)

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Munich, DE-81679
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.CESifo.de

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