Experts

Fellows Program

Ann Lee - Senior Fellow

International Program

Ann Lee - Senior Fellow

About Trade, Workers, and Geo-economics

The United States should play a bold new leadership role in creating a global economy that works for everyone. It should encourage higher labor standards, and stronger social protections in developing nations while doing more to buffer American workers from the downsides of globalization. Demos is advocating several goals to advance this vision.

Raising Labor Standards of U.S. Trade Partners. Higher labor standards are a key to reducing poverty in developing countries and growing the global middle class. The United States is now party to free trade agreements in effect with 17 countries, and most of these agreements commit both parties to upholding core international labor standards. Demos is pushing for more vigorous enforcement of these labor standards, as well as examining the labor implications of pending FTAs, such as the agreement with Colombia.

More Assistance for U.S. Workers Hurt by Trade. For too long, policymakers have pledged more help for the losers of globalization--workers and communities hurt by trade--but such help has seldom been forthcoming. Demos is examining the failures of Trade Adjustment Assistance and other programs, as well as exploring models abroad for retraining workers, like Denmark's "flexicurity" approach. (Learn more here.)

A New Geo-Economic Strategy. The United States needs to rethink its approach to the global economy. While the U.S. should embrace the new prosperity of China and India, and support expansion of the global middle class, policymakers need to ensure that the United States and its trading partners are playing by the same set of rules and that global growth benefits all. Demos is engaging these questions with the help of Senior Fellows such as Robert Kuttner, Benjamin Barber, and Ann Lee. (Learn more here.)

Trade, Workers, and Geo-economics

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