By Todd Tucker and Lori Wallach, published May 2009
Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress writes the laws and sets our trade policy. Yet, over the last few decades, presidents have increasingly grabbed that power through a mechanism known as Fast Track. This undemocratic procedure has facilitated controversial commercial pacts like NAFTA and the WTO, which restrict nations’ trade and non-trade policies. This book explores how the process of designing U.S. trade agreements has changed from 1789 to the present, with unprecedented documentation of the arguments that motivated both opponents and proponents of the expansion of executive power. It also looks to the future of a new delegation mechanism that can reduce political tension about trade policy and be able to secure prosperity for the greatest number of Americans, while preserving the vital tenets of American democracy in the era of globalization.
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- Introduction
- Regime I. U.S. Trade Agreement Policymaking for the First 100 Years
- Regime II. Baby Steps Towards Delegated Tariff Authority, 1890-1934
- Regime III. Executive Dictation of Tariffs, 1934-1967
- Regime IV. Lapse in Authority, 1967-1975
- Regime V. Executive Hegemony over Non-Tariff Rules: Fast Track's Rise and Fall Through 2008
- Conclusion
- References
Reviews & More Information
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio): "If you wonder why trade policy over the past several years has reflected such narrow interests, look no further than the imbalanced trade policymaking process that is Fast Track... Read this informed and engaging account of Fast Track's history and take action."
Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine): "This book provides the lessons of 233 years of American trade authority history to inform Congress's efforts to create... a new trade negotiating mechanism."
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