Agricultural Policy as a Social Engineering Tool

This study uses logistic regression to estimate survey data on social engineering policies in the agricultural sector. The study finds that farm operators are unlikely to support a policy allowing countries to restrict trade to pursue domestic economic and social policy goals if the policies affect international trade. In particular the findings suggest that farm operators with annual gross sales including government payments between $500,000 and $999,999 are 80 percent less likely to indicate such a preference. Farm operators with advanced degrees, some college education and a high school diploma are also unlikely to indicate such a preference. In contrast farm operators who receive no income from farming or ranching and farm operators who receive a percentage of their family income from farming or ranching indicate that countries should be allowed to restrict trade to pursue domestic economic and social policy goals even if the policies affect international trade