Free Trade Agreements- Market Freedom at the Expense of Individual Freedom?
This event, put on in January of 2012, discussed the economic pros and cons of Free Trade and take a look at how these agreements are affecting human rights on the ground and featured Kishore Kulkarni- JKSIS
This event was co-sponsored by the Latin American Studies Association.
Relevant Research
Trade Integration, Neoliberal Reform, and Environmental Protection in Mexico: Lessons for the Americas
Why the Move to Free Trade? Democracy and Trade Policy in the Developing Countries
Abstract: Rising international trade flows are a primary component of globalization. The liberalization of trade policy in many developing countries has helped foster the growth of these flows. Preceding and concurrent with this move to free trade, there has been a global movement toward democracy. We argue that these two trends are related: democratization of the political system reduces the ability of governments to use trade barriers as a strategy for building political support. Political leaders in labor-rich countries may prefer lower trade barriers as democracy increases. Empirical evidence supports our claim about the developing countries from 1970-99. Regime change toward democracy is associated with trade liberalization, controlling for many factors. Conventional explanations of economic reform, such as economic crises and external pressures, seem less salient. Democratization may have fostered globalization in this period.
The Center On Rights Development promotes universal recognition of human rights in all societies by undertaking research on human rights violations, establishing links with academic and legal monitoring centers around the world and conducting outreach to local and national organizations engaged in human rights activism and education.
