?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Feprints.imtlucca.it%2F78%2F&rft.title=Institutions%2C+Information%2C+and+Trade+Policy+in+Times+of+Crisis&rft.creator=Baccini%2C+Leonardo&rft.creator=Kim%2C+Soo+Yeon&rft.subject=JF+Political+institutions+(General)&rft.description=The+paper+examines+the+role+of+international+institutions+in+preventing+the+rise+of+protectionism+in+times+of+times+of+crisis.+Economic+crisis+exacerbates+uncertainty+in+the+conduct+of+commercial+relations+and+thus+makes+it+more+likely+for+countries+to+resort+to+%22beggar-thy-neighbor%22+trade+policies.+The+historical+record+of+the+Great+Depression+supports+this+argument%2C+where+global+trade+suffered+a+downward+spiral+as+governments+pursued+protectionist+trade+policies+as+a+response+to+domestic+pressures.+This+paper+argues+that+the+current+era+of+globalization+is+distinguishable+from+its+earlier+counterparts+by+the+presence+of+an+extensive+network+of+international+institutions%2C+which+serve+as+conveyors+of+information+that+help+to+mitigate+the+information+problem+that+prevails+in+prisoner%E2%80%98s+dilemma+settings.+Specifically%2C+international+institutions+such+as+the+WTO%2C+preferential+trade+agreements+(PTAs)+and+other+international+economic+organizations+increase+the+flow+of+information+among+countries.+In+doing+so%2C+they+alleviate+coordination+problems+as+well+as+facilitate+the+detection+of+violations+in+commitments+to+maintaining+a+liberal+trade+regime.+We+suggest+that+this+mechanism+may+explain+why+the+current+crisis+is+not+replicating+the+pattern+of+the+Great+Depression.+Moreover%2C+we+explore+the+combined+effect+of+membership+in+international+organization+and+political+variables%2C+the+latter+including+democracy%2C+veto+players%2C+partisanship+of+government%2C+and+government+effectiveness.+We+test+this+argument+using+a+newly-compiled+dataset+of+trade+policies+during+the+current+economic+crisis+and+membership+in+international+organizations.+The+paper+finds+strong+support+for+the+informational+role+of+international+institutions+as+a+key+factor+preventing+the+rise+of+protectionism+in+times+of+crisis.+Conversely%2C+there+is+mixed+evidence+that+the+combining+effect+of+international+organizations+and+domestic+political+variables+matters+in+explaining+protectionism+during+this+crisis.&rft.date=2011&rft.type=Working+Paper&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.language=en&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Feprints.imtlucca.it%2F78%2F1%2Fbaccini_kim2011e.pdf&rft.identifier=++Baccini%2C+Leonardo+and+Kim%2C+Soo+Yeon++Institutions%2C+Information%2C+and+Trade+Policy+in+Times+of+Crisis.++Working+Paper++%23+%2F2011++++++++(Unpublished)+++