Free Trade and the Formation of Environmental Policy: Evidence from US Legislative Votes
研究北美自由贸易协定对美国众议院环境政策形成的影响，发现关税降低减少了环境立法的政治支持，原因包括共和党议员因选民偏好变化而减少支持，以及支持NAFTA的民主党议员在受影响选区选举失利。
We test the hypothesis that governments alter environmental policy in response to trade by studying NAFTA’s effects on the formation of environmental policy in the US House of Representatives between 1990 and 2000. We find that reductions in US tariffs decreased political support for environmental legislation. This decrease appears to be due to (i) a reduction in support by incumbent Republican legislators in response to trade-induced changes in the policy preferences of their constituents and (ii) changes in partisan representation in affected districts due to decreased electoral support for pro-NAFTA Democrats following the agreement.