Clark Center Forum

About the Clark Center Forum

The Forum for the Kent A. Clark Center for Global Markets is home to the European, Finance, and US Economic Experts Panels as well as a repository of thoughtful, current, and reliable information regarding topics of the day.
Europe

Foreign Aid

Question A:

The reductions in Western programs of development assistance will have no measurable effects on GDP growth in the recipient countries over the next five years.

Question B:

The reductions in Western programs of development assistance will have substantially negative effects on the most vulnerable people in the recipient countries over the next five years.

Question C:

Development assistance motivated by the potential benefits for the donors in terms of prosperity and security is measurably more effective in promoting GDP growth in recipient countries than aid based on humanitarian or other moral principles.

 
US

Foreign Aid

Question A:

The cancellation of the majority of programs run by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will have no measurable effects on GDP growth in the recipient countries over the next five years.

Question B:

The cancellation of the majority of USAID programs will have substantially negative effects on the most vulnerable people in the recipient countries over the next five years.

Question C:

Development assistance motivated by the potential benefits for the donors in terms of prosperity and security is measurably more effective in promoting GDP growth in recipient countries than aid based on humanitarian or other moral principles.

 
Finance

Debt and the Dollar

This Finance survey examines (a) The US dollar's status as the dominant reserve currency substantially raises its value; (b) US-led policy interventions that discouraged central banks from holding US treasury securities would substantially diminish the dollar's reserve currency status, (c) US-led policy interventions that led to a sustained weakening in the dollar would substantially damage the US government's ability to finance its deficits 
On Global Markets

The Rising Risks

Over the last few months, On Global Markets has repeatedly warned about the real economic costs of elevated levels of economic policy uncertainty. But, it seems that greater certainty on the shape of Donald Trump’s trade policy has brought its own challenges. The President’s so-called ‘Liberation Day’ reciprocal tariffs went a lot further than just […] 
US

Economic Statistics

This US survey examines (a) The termination of the Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Council and shrinking staff at the core US statistical agencies will lead to a substantial reduction in the reliability of government economic data; (b) The quality of economic policy-making will be substantially impaired by reduced funding for the core US statistical agencies; (c) The ability of businesses to forecast and plan will be substantially impaired by lower quality economic data 
Finance

Capping Credit Card Interest Rates

This Finance survey examines: A bipartisan bill to cap credit card interest rates at 10% has been introduced recently in the House and the Senate: https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ocasio-cortez-luna-introduce-bill-cap-credit-card-interest-rates-10; (a) Capping credit card interest rates at 10% would make most users measurably better off; (b) Capping credit card interest rates at 10% would lead to a substantial reduction in access to credit for low-income borrowers 
FT-Booth US Macroeconomists Survey

FTxBooth: Potential Effects of Trump Economic Policies

This installment of the FTxBooth US Macroeconomists Survey discusses the potential effects of President Trump’s economic policies as well as the consequences of federal data gathering and management. The summary results are below and you can read the Financial Times article here, subscription required. View the results of this survey>> For social media: Please use […] 
On Global Markets

Turning the Other Cheek on Trade?

The idea of “infrastructure week” became a reasonably popular joke amongst journalists and commentators during President Trump’s first term. As CNN explained at the time, the idea came from the administration’s frequent announcements that in a given week, the focus would be on infrastructure only for it to then get blown off course by some […] 

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