Pennsylvania is one of the states where residents are most skeptical of free trade agreements, according to a study by the Bucknell University Institute for Public Policy, writes Min Xian for WHYY.

The study found negative attitudes in states where voters supported President Barack Obama in the 2012 election and flipped their support to President Donald Trump in 2016: Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa.

The study found these states tend to believe free trade agreements have negative impacts on employment, wages, and overall economic growth.

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These states have seen their manufacturing industries gutted, and it’s difficult for people in hard-hit areas to realize when the economy has an uptick, according to Chris Ellis, a professor of political science at Bucknell.

The study broke down the results by political party. Republicans and Democrats agreed that trade agreements should be beneficial to the U.S. economy. Republicans were most emphatic, with 82 percent calling it “very important.” Only 65 percent of Democrats shared that view.

Democrats placed a higher priority than Republicans on human rights and working conditions in partnering countries.

Read more about Pennsylvania and free trade at WHYY by clicking here.

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