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This paper, which is inspired by the society-centered approach, studies interest groups' positions pertaining to the choice of the organizational form of the United States trade policy during an important period in the world trading system's evolution. The appreciation of these groups' preferences is attained by analyzing public hearings of the U.S. Congress. The analysis of the interest groups' expectations and demands towards the government's statements and the negotiation of free trade agreements shows that some associations and business groups had to be convinced of the pertinence of a new policy. U.S. policy towards bilateral free trade agreements was deployed at a time when the business community elites were resistant to the idea of including a new policy stance which departed from the traditional American government commitment towards multilateralism. Some associations, specifically those representing the large business community, only leaned towards supporting the bilateral free trade policy after they understood that this approach could contribute in creating favorable conditions that would lead to the adoption of an ambitious and ground-breaking Uruguay Round agenda, and most importantly, an agenda in line with American commercial goals. In sum, the preferences and positions of analyzed interest groups suggests that U.S. policy towards bilateral free trade agreements was crafted with a great deal of autonomy from societal forces.
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438.More information
Keywords: Rémi Savard
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439.