The Cato Institute’s Defending Globalization project conducted a survey of 2,000 Americans with YouGov. The 2024 Globalization and Trade Survey found that a majority of the respondents believe global trade helps the U.S. economy and their personal standard of living. Sixty-three percent favor increasing trade with other nations.
This survey is notable because it tests how views change on public policy issues when additional facts, economic tradeoffs, and non-policy factors are explained. Seventy-five percent of respondents are concerned about tariffs increasing the price of products they use and 61% believe U.S. businesses need to “learn how to become strong and compete globally without any government handouts or taxpayer subsidies.” This idea is tested with the example of a new tariff on blue jeans. While 62% initially support the new tariff, that support craters when they learn it would raise the cost by only $10 despite being a move intended to help domestic blue jean manufacturing.
The survey also found that Americans overestimate how much is imported into the U.S. from China and don’t think China has traded fairly with the U.S. However, they aren’t willing to pay more to have everything manufactured in America.
