European Economic Experts Panel

The Clark Center for Global Markets explores economists’ views on vital policy issues via our US and European Economic Experts Panels. We regularly poll over 80 economists on a range of timely and relevant topics. Panelists not only have the opportunity to respond to a poll’s statements, but an opportunity to comment and provide additional resources, if they wish. The Clark Center then shares the results with the public in a straightforward and concise format.

Please note that from September 2022, the language in our polls will use just two modifiers to refer to the size of an effect:

‘Substantial’: when an effect is large enough that it would make a difference that matters for the behavior involved.
‘Measurable’: when the direction of the effect is clear, but perhaps experts would differ as to whether it is substantial.

Gentrification

Europe

Gentrification

Residents of big European cities would be better off, on balance, if governments did more to counter gentrification, for example by using rent and other housing subsidies, public housing investments, zoning regulations, or similar policies.

Responses

26%

24%

12%

Source: European Clark Center Economic Experts Panel
Methodology

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

April 30, 2019

European Deposit Insurance

Europe

European Deposit Insurance

Question A:

A common European deposit insurance scheme, once fully implemented, would increase the stability of European economies in the event of another financial crisis.

Responses

24%

38%

22%

Source: European Clark Center Economic Experts Panel
Methodology

Question B:

A common European deposit insurance scheme, once fully implemented, would increase the likelihood of another financial crisis in Europe.

Responses

24%

16%

Source: European Clark Center Economic Experts Panel
Methodology

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

April 9, 2019

Public Spending on the Arts

Europe

Public Spending on the Arts

This week’s IGM European Economic Experts Panel statements:

A) Overall, public spending on the arts in Europe creates benefits that exceed the deadweight loss caused by taxation to fund it.

B) Additional public spending on the arts in Europe would create incremental benefits that exceed the deadweight loss caused by taxation to fund it.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

March 20, 2019

European Champions

Europe

European Champions

This week's IGM European Economic Experts Panel Statements:

A) The average European is better off if Europe’s competition authorities let firms merge into European champions in their sectors, even it weakens competition.

B) If China and other countries use policies that create giant international firms, then the average European is better off if Europe's competition authorities let firms merge into European champions in their sectors, even it weakens competition.

Business, Management, & Corporate Performance

February 27, 2019

Quarterly Earnings

Europe

Quarterly Earnings

This week's IGM European Economic Experts Panel statements:

A) Letting publicly traded European firms report earnings annually rather than quarterly would lead their executives to place more weight on long-term issues in their investments and other decisions.

B) A switch from quarterly to annual earnings reports would, on net, benefit shareholders of European firms.

Business, Management, & Corporate Performance

February 7, 2019

Social Responsibility

Europe

Social Responsibility

This week's IGM European Economic Experts Panel Statement(s):

A) To the extent that public corporations pursue social and environmental initiatives, they tend to achieve higher risk-adjusted (private) returns than otherwise similar corporations that pursue such initiatives less.

B) To the extent that Norway’s global government pension fund makes investments for social and environmental objectives — apart from investments that would bring the highest expected risk-adjusted returns — it improves the welfare of Norwegians.

Business, Management, & Corporate Performance

January 17, 2019

EU Fiscal Rules

Europe

EU Fiscal Rules

This week's IGM European Economic Experts Panel statements:

A) The fiscal rules of the European Union should give more flexibility to member countries.

B) The Italian budget for 2019 that the European Commission rejected in October would have increased Italy’s risk of fiscal insolvency substantially.

C) If France runs a 2019 budget deficit of around 3.4% of GDP, as announced by President Macron’s government, France’s risk of fiscal insolvency will increase substantially.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

December 19, 2018

Ride-Sharing Caps

Europe

Ride-Sharing Caps

This week's IGM European Experts Panel statements:

A) Capping the number of ride-sharing drivers as is being discussed in New York City, Chicago, and London will make the average resident in that city worse off.

B) To achieve a given level of congestion, it would be better to use taxes for driving that vary based on the level of congestion, rather than limiting the number of ride-sharing vehicles.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

December 6, 2018

Immigration and Government Budgets

Europe

Immigration and Government Budgets

This week's European Economic Experts Panel statement:

People who migrated to Europe between 2015 and 2018 are likely — over the next two decades — to contribute more in taxes paid than they receive in benefits and public services.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

November 7, 2018

Increasing Returns

Europe

Increasing Returns

This week's IGM European Economic Experts Panel statement:

Ideas are nonrival, so increasing returns to scale is an essential feature of technological change in a market economy.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

October 17, 2018