Fairness and the political economy of trade

This paper argues that, as a matter of positive political economy, fairness plays a non-trivial role in the politics of trade policy. Specifically, we first argue that, as a matter of fact, widely held notions of fairness, that are empirically identifiable on the micro level, have macro effects not only in the social and political spheres of life, but even in the economy. Furthermore, as we argue in the second section, these notions systematically constrain public officials in the construction and pursuit of trade policy. © 2006 The Authors Journal compilation © 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.