Yi Che, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Anson Ly, National University of Singapore; Justin Pierce, Federal Reserve Board; Peter Schott, Yale University and NBER; and Zhigang Tao, University of Hong Kong

Do Chinese Imports Influence American Politics?

This paper examines the impact of U.S. imports from China on U.S. Congressional elections. Che, Lu, Pierce, Schott, and Tao find that counties with greater increases in imports from China during the 2000s exhibit increases in the share of votes cast for Democrats as well as the likelihood that a Democrat takes a seat from a Republican. These relationships are not present in the 1990s, before the surge in U.S. imports from China occurred, and they are consistent with tjhe researchers' finding that Democrats in office were more likely than Republicans to support legislation limiting import competition or offering economic assistance.