The Textile, Apparel, and Footwear Act of 1990: Determinants of Congressional Voting

Abstract

This article uses probit analysis to examine the effect of political and economic variables on the probability of senators and representatives voting favorably on the Textile, Apparel, and Footwear Trade Act of 1990. The results show that voting behavior by senators and representatives was significantly influenced by their party affiliations, the importance of textile and apparel employment in their states, and campaign contributions. Senate voting behavior also was significantly affected by the length of tenure in office. House voting behavior also was negative and signifi cantly affected by the percentages of states' agricultural employment, which is an important export sector.