Fiona Scott Morton image

Fiona Scott Morton

13 Votes

Yale

  • New Haven, CT

About

  • Theodore Nierenberg Professor of Economics
  • Founder and Director of the Thurman Arnold Project Yale
  • Member, American Economic Review Board of Editors

Voting History

US

Institutions and Prosperity

Question A: The institutions of society - such as constitutions, laws, judiciaries, and property rights - substantially shape economic decisions, policies, and outcomes.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Strongly Agree
9
Strongly Agree
8
Question B: On average and over the long term, democracies deliver substantially better economic growth than other forms of government.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree
5
Agree
6
Comment: An important aspect of democracy is the way it affects the distribution of the surplus in the economy, not just the amount of that surplus
Question C: Countries where democracy and the rule of law are weakened are likely to experience measurable damage to their economic performance.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree
5
Agree
6
US

Sovereign Wealth Funds

Question A: The Democrats and Republicans have floated the idea of a US sovereign wealth fund. For background, see here and here.

Establishing a domestic sovereign wealth fund to invest in infrastructure, emerging technologies, and/or strategic sectors would bring substantial benefits to the US economy over a ten-year horizon.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Uncertain
2
Disagree
6
Question B: The typical advanced economy could substantially boost growth by establishing a sovereign wealth fund to invest in infrastructure, emerging technologies, and/or strategic sectors.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Uncertain
1
Disagree
5
Question C: For a typical advanced economy, establishing a sovereign wealth fund would be substantially better for citizens relative to paying down the debt as a use for excess revenue.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree
1
Disagree
5
US

National Rent Caps

Question A: Capping annual rent increases by corporate landlords at 5%, as proposed by President Biden, would make middle-income Americans substantially better off over the next ten years.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Uncertain
8
Disagree
6
Question B: Capping annual rent increases at 5%, as proposed by President Biden, would substantially reduce the amount of available apartments for rent over the next ten years.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Uncertain
8
Agree
5
Comment: There is growing evidence of algorithmic collusion among rental properties, especially newer units. This would result in rents that are above competitive levels today.
Question C: Capping annual rent increases at 5%, as proposed by President Biden, would substantially reduce US income inequality over the next ten years.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Disagree
5
Disagree
5
US

Tax Cuts Extension

Question A: All else equal, making permanent the 2017 tax cuts that were set to expire at the end of 2025 would substantially increase federal deficits and the federal debt over the coming decade.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Strongly Agree
10
Agree
7
Question B: All else equal, making permanent the 2017 tax cuts that were set to expire at the end of 2025 would measurably increase the rate of US economic growth over the coming decade.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Strongly Disagree
10
Disagree
5
Comment: We have tried this experiment in the US many times and the empirical evidence demonstrates that this is an ineffective way to stimulate growth
Question C: In the US, given Congressional budget scoring rules, temporary tax cuts generate sufficient pressure for extension as to be effectively permanent.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Disagree
5
Uncertain
5
Question A: The lower willingness of private firms to go public, combined with the increased number of publicly traded firms being taken private over the last 25 years, is measurably net negative for economic growth.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree
7
Uncertain
5
Question B: All else equal, reducing regulatory barriers (including reporting requirements such as Sarbanes Oxley 404) to public listing would substantially increase the share of publicly traded firms in the economy.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
No Opinion
Agree
4
Question C: The lack of transparency about unlisted private firms' financial performance substantially hinders the efficiency of the allocation of capital.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Strongly Agree
7
Uncertain
5
Comment: When corporations can hide their business plans, it allows them to have strategies that are illegal or would be made illegal if governments realized what was happening. Investments in these business models are inefficient and wrong.
-see background information here
US

Regulating AI

Question A: Antitrust investigations of the dominant firms in artificial intelligence are likely to lead to substantially lower prices of AI products and services for businesses and consumers.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Disagree
5
Uncertain
5
Question B: Antitrust investigations of the dominant firms in artificial intelligence are likely to promote greater competition and innovation in AI.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Strongly Agree
8
Uncertain
5
Question C: Potential harms from artificial intelligence are better assessed by market deployment rather than seeking to slow the pace of AI research and implementation.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Uncertain
1
Uncertain
5
Question A: The proposed US tariffs on Chinese EVs would lead to measurably higher employment in the US automotive industry over the next five years.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree
5
Uncertain
5
Question B: The proposed US tariffs on Chinese EVs would lead to measurably higher prices of EVs in the US.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree
5
Agree
7
Question C: The proposed US tariffs on Chinese EVs would measurably slow the adoption of green technology by consumers.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Uncertain
5
Agree
5
Comment: Other policies may respond such as state and federal subsidies, development of a green ecosystem in the US that creates externalities in other industries, etc.
US

Drug Policy

Reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug would lead to measurably higher social welfare.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Strongly Agree
9
Agree
5
Comment: The relative dangers of these drugs are now well known. Marijuana is legal in many states.
US

Tariffs

Question A: Tripling existing import taxes on Chinese steel and aluminum products would lead to measurably higher employment in the US steel industry over the next five years.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree
3
Uncertain
5
Question B: Tripling the tariffs would lead to measurably higher steel and aluminum prices for American producers and measurably higher finished-good prices for American consumers.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Strongly Agree
4
Agree
5
Comment: tariffs are a form of taxes on the imported good.
Question C: The gains for the American economy from tripling the tariffs would measurably outweigh the losses.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Disagree
4
Disagree
5
Universities that abandon temporary pandemic test-optional policies and return to requiring standardized test scores for admissions will create measurably enhanced opportunities for potentially high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Did Not Answer
Agree
6
US

Supermarket Merger

Question A: The FTC is opposed to Kroger’s proposed acquisition of Albertsons. Critics argue that with sufficient divestitures, the deal would be consistent with past FTC policies.

Kroger’s proposed acquisition of Albertsons would lead to substantially higher grocery prices and/or lower product quality/services for customers of the two companies in locations where both are present.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Strongly Agree
9
Uncertain
4
Comment: If both stores are in the same geography then they compete head to head.
Question B: Kroger’s proposed acquisition of Albertsons would have a substantially negative effect on workers at the two companies in locations where both are present.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Uncertain
8
Uncertain
5
Comment: If the workers have enough specialized skills and face moving costs, this could be the case. The answer depends on the evidence.
US

Prescription Drugs

Question A: Allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies will lead to a substantial reduction in the costs of prescription drugs for US retirees.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree
5
Agree
5
Comment: It isn’t clear how much expenditure will be represented in the drugs being negotiated.
Question B: Allowing imports of medicines from Canada will lead to a substantial reduction in the costs of prescription drugs for US consumers without compromising safety.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Strongly Disagree
10
Agree
5
Comment: The Canadians will ban such imports to stop their own prices from rising.
Question A: A tolling program for New York City is out for public consultation with proposed charges on vehicles entering the central business district of Manhattan summarized here: https://new.mta.info/document/129191

The proposed tolls on vehicles entering the central business district of Manhattan are likely to lead to a substantial reduction in traffic congestion in the targeted area.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Strongly Agree
10
Agree
5
Comment: we have seen this experiment in other cities and it has worked well.
Question B: The proposed tolls on vehicles entering Manhattan are likely to lead to a substantial increase in traffic congestion just outside the central business district, above 60th Street, in the outer boroughs and New Jersey.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Uncertain
7
Uncertain
4
Comment: There is no obvious means of transferring freight or passengers at this border.
US

Economic Sanctions and Aid

Question A: The economic and financial sanctions against Russia are substantially limiting its ability to wage war on Ukraine.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Agree
5
Uncertain
4
Comment: Some critical goods are blocked, other sanctions do not stop flows, but raise the cost of trade and commerce , lowering net gains to Russia.
Question B: In the absence of continuing flows of Western economic aid, Ukraine's wartime economy will be substantially compromised.
Vote Confidence Median Survey Vote Median Survey Confidence
Strongly Agree
9
Strongly Agree
7
Comment: Ukraine is small compared to Russia and therefore needs external aid.