Foreign Direct Investment Screening and Congressional Backlash Politics in the United States

This article contributes to the literature on the ongoing anti economic globalization backlash by studying the United States (US)’ safeguards relating to foreign direct investment (FDI). Despite the US’s traditional welcoming attitude towards FDI, some deals have garnered negative political attention resulting in readjustments to the institutions that the US uses to manage inward FDI (IFDI) flows. The rise of China as a major source of IFDI has presented new challenges and spurred new limitations. This piece examines the variables shaping the response of the American Congress towards Chinese IFDI and argues that “domestic political motives” strongly shape its backlash.

This piece originally appeared as: Brandice Canes-Wrone, Lauren Mattioli, and Sophie Meunier, “Foreign Direct Investment Screening and Congressional Backlash Politics in the United States,” The British Journal of Politics and International Relations 22, no. 4 (2020): 666-678. Copyright remains with the original holder.