US

The UK and Europe

Question A:

Ten years after the Brexit referendum, the UK has experienced substantially lower growth than it would have done had it remained in the European Union.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question B:

The UK would be substantially richer ten years from now if it immediately began negotiations and domestic preparations with the aim of fully rejoining the European Union.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question A Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Aguiar
Mark Aguiar
Princeton
Agree
4
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
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Bergemann
Dirk Bergemann
Yale
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
10
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
6
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Disagree
4
Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Hurst
Erik Hurst
Chicago Booth
Disagree
9
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
UK took completely the wrong path. Once out of EU, should have moved to deregulate and copy the U.S. Instead, implemented low growth / regulatory policies, e.g., in energy, and got no benefit from leaving, only cost.
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
The evidence is well identified, as are the channels. Lower investment, lost productivity coming from dealing with the transition. Compare Northern Ireland which has retained access and other countries. Also promised windfalls never delivered. An epic own goal.
-see background information here
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Peterson Institute for International Economics
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Pathak
Parag Pathak
MIT
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
The UK has experienced the disadvantages of leaving the EU, without the supposed advantages (such as a special relationship with the US) materializing.
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
See Bloom et al. "The Economic Impact of Brexit" for convincing evidence.
-see background information here
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Scott Morton
Fiona Scott Morton
Yale
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Stantcheva
Stefanie Stantcheva
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Syverson
Chad Syverson
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
The "substantial" bar is a high one.
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Werning
Ivan Werning
MIT
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Counterfactuals like these are particularly difficult to do with confidence, but my reading of the lackluster performance of UK economy tilts me towards a sizable effect. The loss in welfare may be greater (trade benefits are not captured by GDP only)
-see background information here

Question B Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Aguiar
Mark Aguiar
Princeton
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Uncertain
5
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
3
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Einav
Liran Einav
Stanford
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Glaeser
Edward Glaeser
Harvard
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Rejoining the EU is not a magic cure. The U.K. has other problems to solve that are at least as important. Fixing these problems should be done in conjunction with achieving closer ties to Europe.
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Hurst
Erik Hurst
Chicago Booth
Disagree
9
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Again, the UK has an opportunity to be different from the EU which is unlikely to be able to deregulate. If the UK took that opportunity, it would do better. If it goes back to the EU, more of the same.
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Deal will be worse than what they had, the negotiations will take time and distract from other issues, and then reversing the laws etc will take more time. Being more aligned would be better, but trade is only one factor holding back growth. Focus on domestic growth agenda.
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Peterson Institute for International Economics
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Pathak
Parag Pathak
MIT
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Much depends on the terms with which a skeptical EU would allow readmission.
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Although UK would eventually benefit for being part of the EU, specially after the Trump shock, negotiations are likely to be difficult and increase uncertainty for economic agents for a long period.
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Scott Morton
Fiona Scott Morton
Yale
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Disagree
4
Bio/Vote History
The harm is done. Trying to reenter the EU would create a new decade of uncertainty. And since we now all know Brexit can happen, uncertainty won't end after reascension
Stantcheva
Stefanie Stantcheva
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Syverson
Chad Syverson
Chicago Booth
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
I'm sure there could be some asymmetries so negative effect perhaps not completely reversible (and UK will never get back what it lost)
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
At this point I think efforts to improve the regulatory rules internally are likely to have a higher payoff. Hard to undue a stupid breakup.
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Werning
Ivan Werning
MIT
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History