Research Agenda
Domestic Politics of International Trade
My current book project, The New Politics of the New Trade: the Political Economy of Intra-Industry Trade, engages an empirical puzzle as well as a theoretical one. Empirically, my book seeks to explain the rise of corporate lobbying in trade politics and the relative decline of labor and broader trade coalitions in developed economies. Theoretically, I am motivated by developing a model of trade politics that is based on new patterns of international trade, which our classic, endowments-based trade models are not equipped to handle. Specifically, intra-industry trade now makes up more than half of total trade among developed economies. Economists have modeled the economic rationale for intra-industry trade, but political scientists have largely neglected to consider the political implications of this “new trade.” The vast majority of political science work on trade politics is grounded in classic trade theory, which assumes that countries trade on the basis of their factor endowments. I use the newest economic theory to develop a model of trade politics in industries with high levels of intra-industry trade. In this way, I make a major theoretical contribution to the literature on trade coalitions and trade politics.
Regional Integration in Latin America
Latin American countries are well embedded in the global trade regime. Yet the design of their trade agreements is surprisingly distinct from trade agreement design suggested by industrialized countries. What explains this regional distinctiveness? Lisa Lechner (University of Innsbruck) and I analyze the text of preferential trade agreements among Latin American countries and find that the design of trade agreements adopted by Latin American countries reflects varying degrees of resistance to or acceptance of US initiatives in the region. Reliable US partners, such as Mexico and Chile, are most likely to sign agreements that demonstrate diffusion of US-backed trade policies. On the other hand, US-backed policies are least often adopted in trade agreements in which Brazil is a member. This paper builds on a chapter I am writing on power, hegemony and regionalism in Latin America for a book on comparative regionalism edited by James Caporaso (University of Washington) and Min-Hyung Kim (Kyung Hee University).
Global Economic Integration and Female Labor Force Participation
I am interested in the ways that economic globalization affects the likelihood that women are able to access paid work. In a new article, I examine whether different types of global economic integration have divergent effects on women’s labor force participation in low- and middle-income economies. I analyze cross-national data over a 28-year period to evaluate whether a country’s reliance on trade, FDI and oil extraction is related to the level of female labor force participation in that country. I find that in developing countries, each process is associated with lower levels of female labor force participation. I attribute these sobering findings to the impact of automation and industrial upgrading in manufacturing. Lower overall labor demand, coupled with ongoing and pervasive discriminatory norms and gender-based sectoral segregation, affects the extent to which globalization creates employment opportunities for women.
Publications
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2022. "The Defeminizing Reversal: Globalization, Industrial Upgrading and Female Labor Force Participation." International Studies Quarterly.
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2021. "Hegemony and its Discontents: Regional Integration in Latin America." In Power Relations and Comparative Regionalism, edited by James Caporaso and Min-Hyung Kim, Routledge.)
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2018. "The Politics of TTIP in the US: American Industry, Labor and Public Positions on Transatlantic Trade.” Asia-Pacific Journal of EU Studies 16(1): 31-53.
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2018. “The Politics of International Trade.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. New York: Oxford University Press.
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2016. “New Trade, New Politics: Intra-Industry Trade and Domestic Political Coalitions.” Review of International Political Economy 23(4): 677-711.
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2014. “Regionalization and National Social Policies.” Research and Politics 1(3): 1-9.
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2014. “The new politics of the new trade: The political economy of intra-industry trade.” In Deese, David A. (ed.). Handbook of the International Political Economy of Trade. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
Caporaso, James A. and Mary Anne Madeira. 2011. Globalization, Institutions and Governance. London: SAGE.
Madeira, Mary Anne and James A. Caporaso. 2011. “Regional Integration (Supranational).” International Encyclopedia of Political Science. London: SAGE.
In Preparation
The New Politics of the New Trade: the Political Economy of Intra-Industry Trade (book-length monograph)
"Diffusion and Dissent: the Design of Preferential Trade Agreements in Latin America." Coauthored with Lisa Lechner.
Domestic Politics of International Trade
My current book project, The New Politics of the New Trade: the Political Economy of Intra-Industry Trade, engages an empirical puzzle as well as a theoretical one. Empirically, my book seeks to explain the rise of corporate lobbying in trade politics and the relative decline of labor and broader trade coalitions in developed economies. Theoretically, I am motivated by developing a model of trade politics that is based on new patterns of international trade, which our classic, endowments-based trade models are not equipped to handle. Specifically, intra-industry trade now makes up more than half of total trade among developed economies. Economists have modeled the economic rationale for intra-industry trade, but political scientists have largely neglected to consider the political implications of this “new trade.” The vast majority of political science work on trade politics is grounded in classic trade theory, which assumes that countries trade on the basis of their factor endowments. I use the newest economic theory to develop a model of trade politics in industries with high levels of intra-industry trade. In this way, I make a major theoretical contribution to the literature on trade coalitions and trade politics.
Regional Integration in Latin America
Latin American countries are well embedded in the global trade regime. Yet the design of their trade agreements is surprisingly distinct from trade agreement design suggested by industrialized countries. What explains this regional distinctiveness? Lisa Lechner (University of Innsbruck) and I analyze the text of preferential trade agreements among Latin American countries and find that the design of trade agreements adopted by Latin American countries reflects varying degrees of resistance to or acceptance of US initiatives in the region. Reliable US partners, such as Mexico and Chile, are most likely to sign agreements that demonstrate diffusion of US-backed trade policies. On the other hand, US-backed policies are least often adopted in trade agreements in which Brazil is a member. This paper builds on a chapter I am writing on power, hegemony and regionalism in Latin America for a book on comparative regionalism edited by James Caporaso (University of Washington) and Min-Hyung Kim (Kyung Hee University).
Global Economic Integration and Female Labor Force Participation
I am interested in the ways that economic globalization affects the likelihood that women are able to access paid work. In a new article, I examine whether different types of global economic integration have divergent effects on women’s labor force participation in low- and middle-income economies. I analyze cross-national data over a 28-year period to evaluate whether a country’s reliance on trade, FDI and oil extraction is related to the level of female labor force participation in that country. I find that in developing countries, each process is associated with lower levels of female labor force participation. I attribute these sobering findings to the impact of automation and industrial upgrading in manufacturing. Lower overall labor demand, coupled with ongoing and pervasive discriminatory norms and gender-based sectoral segregation, affects the extent to which globalization creates employment opportunities for women.
Publications
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2022. "The Defeminizing Reversal: Globalization, Industrial Upgrading and Female Labor Force Participation." International Studies Quarterly.
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2021. "Hegemony and its Discontents: Regional Integration in Latin America." In Power Relations and Comparative Regionalism, edited by James Caporaso and Min-Hyung Kim, Routledge.)
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2018. "The Politics of TTIP in the US: American Industry, Labor and Public Positions on Transatlantic Trade.” Asia-Pacific Journal of EU Studies 16(1): 31-53.
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2018. “The Politics of International Trade.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. New York: Oxford University Press.
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2016. “New Trade, New Politics: Intra-Industry Trade and Domestic Political Coalitions.” Review of International Political Economy 23(4): 677-711.
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2014. “Regionalization and National Social Policies.” Research and Politics 1(3): 1-9.
Madeira, Mary Anne. 2014. “The new politics of the new trade: The political economy of intra-industry trade.” In Deese, David A. (ed.). Handbook of the International Political Economy of Trade. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
Caporaso, James A. and Mary Anne Madeira. 2011. Globalization, Institutions and Governance. London: SAGE.
Madeira, Mary Anne and James A. Caporaso. 2011. “Regional Integration (Supranational).” International Encyclopedia of Political Science. London: SAGE.
In Preparation
The New Politics of the New Trade: the Political Economy of Intra-Industry Trade (book-length monograph)
"Diffusion and Dissent: the Design of Preferential Trade Agreements in Latin America." Coauthored with Lisa Lechner.
Photo Credit: Adam Hoff