Gains from globalization and economic nationalism: AMLO versus NAFTA in the 2006 Mexican elections

AbstractDo gains from globalization erode support for economic nationalism? We study how North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)enhanced local access to USmarkets affected Mexican demands for protectionist platforms. The leftled by Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador (AMLO)underperformed in cities benefiting from exportaccess gains during the 2006 presidential elections. This effect is observed strictly in 2006the only postNAFTA election in which debates over trade integration played a salient role. Our findings are robust to controls for importcompeting pressures from NAFTA and the China shock. AMLO's 2006 protectionist platform likely cost him that year's election, and campaign media strategies in 2012 map to this earlier backlash.

Gains from globalization and economic nationalism: AMLO versus NAFTA in the 2006 Mexican elections Academic Article