Trust, government and trade policy decisions: Evidence from Citizen Juries in the UK

The paper explores public attitudes towards trade policy in the UK through a series of Citizen Juries. Unlike experimental survey-based approaches to trade policy preferences, this study qualitatively analyses deliberative discussions to gain insights into public perceptions, reasoning, and preferences regarding trade policy decision-making. The paper focuses on trust in trade policy making. Five juries, geographically representative of their localities across the UK, deliberated on four trade-off scenarios encompassing workers' rights, sectoral balancing, digital trade, and food/environmental standards. The public believes firmly that the government should make trade policy decisions, less out of trust than a lack of alternatives. Across all scenarios, participants acknowledge the important role of experts in informing trade policy decisions, both independent experts (e.g., academics, researchers) and sectoral experts (e.g., workers, business representatives). This desire for expert input reflects the public's recognition of their own limited knowledge and the complexity of trade issues. While participants generally did not advocate for direct public decision-making on trade policy, they consistently expressed a strong desire for greater public consultation, transparency and accountability. This research also underscores the importance of addressing public distrust in government and business to foster a more inclusive and legitimate trade policy process.