US

Sustained Growth

Question A:

The combination of scientific progress, technological innovation, and openness to new ideas underpinned the emergence of sustained economic growth in the Industrial Revolution.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question B:

The process of creative destruction – in which innovation continually leads to the disruptive displacement of existing jobs, products, firms, and industries – has been a substantial contributor to sustained economic growth.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question A Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Yes, but I would also add major institutional changes and the evolving balance of political and social power as key factors.
Aguiar
Mark Aguiar
Princeton
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Bergemann
Dirk Bergemann
Yale
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Clearly true. One could quibble. Openness compared to what? Being totally closed would be a disaster and shut down progress. Being too open leads to what I have dubbed as switcher's curse. See "conservatism and switchers curse". Were we close to optimally open? Doubtful.
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Einav
Liran Einav
Stanford
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Glaeser
Edward Glaeser
Harvard
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Hurst
Erik Hurst
Chicago Booth
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Peterson Institute for International Economics
Strongly Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Pathak
Parag Pathak
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Strongly Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Scott Morton
Fiona Scott Morton
Yale
Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Stantcheva
Stefanie Stantcheva
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Along with the emergence of institutions to ensure property rights, limited liability corporations, rule by law, and the development of financial markets (the institutions of capitalism).
Stokey
Nancy Stokey
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Syverson
Chad Syverson
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Joel Mokyr writes beautifully about this. His book "A Culture of Growth" is a great place to start. It's economic history intertwined with the history of ideas and of technology and a vivid discussion of the interplay between practice and knowledge.
Werning
Ivan Werning
MIT
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History

Question B Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Yes, but this does not mean that all growth comes from job destruction or broader disruption. Nor does it imply that the amount of job destruction is optimal in a growing economy -- there can be excessive disruption and the wrong direction of technology, esp. with automation.
Aguiar
Mark Aguiar
Princeton
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Bergemann
Dirk Bergemann
Yale
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
We might say that technological progress leads to growth and any openness to such progress is likely to lead to destruction of the old ways. And some adjustment costs. Creative destruction is poetic but not as profound as its adherents pretend.
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Einav
Liran Einav
Stanford
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Glaeser
Edward Glaeser
Harvard
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Hurst
Erik Hurst
Chicago Booth
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Peterson Institute for International Economics
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Pathak
Parag Pathak
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Strongly Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Strongly Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Scott Morton
Fiona Scott Morton
Yale
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Stantcheva
Stefanie Stantcheva
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Stokey
Nancy Stokey
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Syverson
Chad Syverson
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Oodles of empirical evidence at the micro level showing how important this process is for productivity and income growth.
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
... and its lack too often the source of stagnation.
Werning
Ivan Werning
MIT
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History