A new poll from the Cato Institute asks Americans about their views on globalization and trade. As one might expect given Cato’s libertarian views, the think tank is highlighting that the survey finds that about two-thirds of Americans think international trade is good for the U.S. economy and want more of it.
That finding certainly contradicts the protectionist mood that many politicians and commentators have claimed characterizes the American public. When digging into the detailed poll results, though, I was even more interested in the level to which most Americans don’t care or have no opinion on many questions related to globalization.
Politicians and commentators often claim to represent some kind of silent majority of Americans who are staunchly opposed to globalization or feel that they have been personally harmed by it. But the overwhelming verdict of this poll is that a big chunk of Americans don’t have strong views on globalization.
Here are some examples of questions the survey asked, alongside the proportion of respondents who did not take a side:
- “Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the following things, or have you not heard of it?”
- Free trade: 36 percent said neither or haven’t heard of it
- Globalization: 44 percent said neither or haven’t heard of it
- Tariffs: 47 percent said neither or haven’t heard of them
- “Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the following institutions, or have you not heard of it?”
- World Trade Organization: 41 percent said neither or haven’t heard of it
- World Bank: 47 percent said neither or haven’t heard of it
- International Monetary Fund: 55 percent said neither or haven’t heard of it
- “Would you support or oppose the U.S. government putting new tariffs on goods made in other countries in response to countries who put tariffs on American products if it . . .”
- decreased American jobs at companies that depend on those tariffed goods: 45 percent said no difference
- decreased the innovation and growth in American businesses: 41 percent said no difference
- increased the price of things you buy at the store: 39 percent said no difference
- “Do you think President Biden has placed too many restrictions on trade, too few restrictions on trade, or about the right amount of restrictions on trade?”
- 42 percent said they don’t know
- “Do you think President Trump has placed too many restrictions on trade, too few restrictions on trade, or about the right amount of restrictions on trade?”
- 32 percent said they don’t know
- “Do you support or oppose a 25 percent tariff, or tax, on all steel from India?”
- If no candidate is mentioned, 43 percent say neither
- If Trump is mentioned, 37 percent say neither
- If Biden is mentioned, 44 percent say neither
So, next time someone is claiming to be speaking up for the forgotten American in a screed against the World Trade Organization or in demand for more steel tariffs, remember that their popular mandate does not exist.