Search

Why do some members of Congress support and others oppose free trade with China? Why do some legislators constantly hold their positions, and others often switch their minds on the annual debate over the extension of China's normal trade relations status? I explore the sources and processes of congressional voting stability and instability over China's NTR renewal from 1990 to 2001. The annual debates over renewal of China's free trade status provide a natural experiment to evaluate how members of Congress determine and maintain their positions on a critical foreign policy during the era of partisan polarization.I argue that members of Congress not only comply with constituents demands but also weigh in partisan strategies and institutional contexts for shaping and reshaping their positions towards China. "Strategic disagreements" in polarized Congress play a critical role in members' position taking over China policy. Members of presidential party also had second thoughts about their positions towards China. And, instead of fighting and negotiating for a number of separate legislations to address diverse and controversial China issues, members of Congress could easily score political points for their constituents by taking positions in the course of debates over China's NTR renewal. I test partisan and institutional dimension of congressional politics towards China as well as the influences of constituency, interest groups, and members' ideology. Empirical finding suggests that members translate their constituents' concerns into legislative voting and those concerns are not necessarily restricted to free trade issue. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]