An Explanation for Americans’ Endorsement of Free Trade and Their "Buy American" Activities in the Marketplace

Abstract

The 1990’s have seen a growing debate in the U.S. over the merit of free trade. After NAFTA and GATT, freer trade continues to be an important issue for the U.S. Conceptually, the topic appears allied with the country-of-origin work of the past two decades. This study developed a causal model that uses consumers’ interpersonal orientation to provide an integrated explanation for their attitudes and activities related to free trade. The Free trade construct represents attitudes toward freer economic interchange with foreigners. The Action construct represents buy American activities in the marketplace; it is the behavioral component of persons’ attitudinal orientation toward free trade. The eight proposed explanatory constructs are Prejudice, Ethnocentrism, Nationalism, Fear of job loss, Similarity, Common fate, Image of foreigners, and Social norms.