The American Enterprise Institute has released a new report on the "Polls and Politics of Trade."  Some sharp partisan differences on trade have emerged in recent years. Until 2008, Republicans were the strongest believers within the political spectrum as to the benefits of foreign trade being more an opportunity for economic growth via increased U.S. exports versus being an economic threat by way of foreign imports.  Democrats and independents were far more skeptical of foreign trade. PIC But starting in 2009, the patterns have reversed.  Republican support for foreign trade has remained about constant at 50 percent, while support from Democrats and independents has surged to more than 60 percent. Polling over the past year suggests that the public is about evenly split on whether “free trade agreements between the United States and foreign countries have helped the United States [or] have hurt the United States.”  Given the...(Read Full Post)