Linking Trade and Labor Standards

Congressional Democrats are pushing to link trade agreements to labor and environmental standards. Efforts to do so during the 1990s ran into opposition from developing countries (remember the "Battle in Seattle?"). New public opinion data from the World Public Opinion.org suggests that this may no longer be the case. "Strong majorities in developing nations around the world support requiring countries that sign trade agreements to meet minimum labor and environmental standards."

One can't help but be struck, however, by the negative correlation between per capita income and support for such linkage.