NBC News found in a recent poll that more than twice as many people (66 percent to 31 percent) support import trade limits than want low-priced products, no matter where they come from. Those results were somewhat expected, as the wording of the poll question made it clear which was the more patriotic answer and which was the selfish one.
Here is the exact language used in the poll, which was released on Tuesday:
Which is more important to you?
1. Protecting American industries and jobs by limiting imports from other countries.
2. Allowing free trade so you can buy products at low prices no matter what country they come from.
Limiting imports protects some jobs and industries but hurts others. For example, a Peterson Institute for International Economics study found that after the Obama administration restricted low-priced tire imports, the U.S. lost three jobs for each tire manufacturing job it protected.
To demonstrate the poll’s lack of objectivity, the Daily Signal created its own version:
Which is more important to you?
1. Allowing free trade so companies can buy the inputs they need at a lower cost, low-income families can buy clothing at more affordable prices, and the economy can create new jobs.
2. Allowing Congress to protect some politically connected industries from low-priced imports.
Most people, I think it’s safe to say, would again choose the first response, as it’s the one that appears to produce benefits for everyone. As these questions make clear, the public should never take a poll at face value: To truly understand its results, first look at the way it’s worded.
Emily Leayman is an intern at the Washington Examiner
