ABSTRACT
One of the problems facing any President is the sheer number of players involved in the trade policy process. The executive and legislative branches have roughly equal roles to play but there is also an increasingly wide array of private sector interest groups involved. The need to achieve a consensus within a decentralized policy-making process often leads to inconsistencies in trade policy. Even within the executive branch there are many players which means that there are often lengthy inter-agency coordination meetings. In Congress, there are also several committees claiming some jurisdiction over different aspects of trade policy. The two principal committees, however, are the House Ways and Means and the Senate Finance committee. The various executive agencies and congressional committees represent different constituencies which makes the definition of the “national interest” in trade policy difficult to determine. When private companies clash over an issue such as bananas (Chiquita and Dole) it is again difficult to define the “national interest.” Personalities also play a role. Those closest to the President and those skilled in bureaucratic infighting can often play a role greater than their office would suggest.
