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

European Economic Policy for the COVID-19 Crisis

Question A:

Severe lockdowns – including closing non-essential businesses and strict limitations on people’s movement – are likely to be better for the economy in the medium term than less aggressive measures.

Responses

© 2025. Kent A. Clark Center for Global Markets.
7%
2%
0%
4%
22%
30%
35%
Question B:

While national governments have responded to the crisis with substantial economic policy measures, a joint euro area fiscal response is still highly desirable.

Responses

© 2025. Kent A. Clark Center for Global Markets.
7%
4%
2%
2%
4%
26%
54%
Question C:

Given the willingness of the European Central Bank to buy sovereign bonds, including Italian bonds, without limits, there is no need for ‘coronabonds’.

Responses

© 2025. Kent A. Clark Center for Global Markets.
7%
9%
17%
24%
24%
13%
7%
 
COVID-19

COVID-19 and Children’s Education

Matthias Doepke and Fabrizio Zilibotti The disruption of schooling during the pandemic will have disparate effects across the socio-economic ladder. The achievement gap between children from poorer and richer families is bound to rise as long as school closures continue. Fortunately, there is still time to take action and push back against the repercussions of […] 
COVID-19

The ECB Must Finance COVID-19 Deficits

Paul De Grauwe Having witnessed the 2008 financial crisis and the subsequent eurozone debt crisis, Europe’s policymakers should already realize what the COVID-19 pandemic could mean for the economy. To avert a self-perpetuating downward spiral, the European Central Bank, in particular, will need to start thinking outside the box. Read more> 
COVID-19

Fault Lines in Fiscal-Monetary Policy Coordination

Lucrezia Reichlin and Dirk Schoenmaker Fiscal and monetary policy coordination is not working in the euro area. This column argues that in order to rebalance the weight of both during major crises, the asymmetry between decision making at the ECB (by majority voting) and the ESM (by unanimity or qualified majority) must be harmonised. This […] 
COVID-19

Coronavirus Will Change the Way the World Does Business for Good

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Beata Javorcik Even if we are able to fight the coronavirus pandemic into submission, its effects are likely to spark nothing less than a rethink of how the world does business.Businesses will be forced to rethink their global value chains, shaped to maximise efficiency and profits. Read more> 
COVID-19

R< 1 as an Economic Constraint: Can We “Expand the Frontier” in the Fight Against Covid-19?

Eric Budish This note suggests that we view R < 1 as an economic constraint, allowing social welfare in the traditional sense (economic activity, societal well-being) to be the policy objective. This formulation highlights two key questions at the intersection of health and economics research in response to the Covid-19 crisis. First, what activities maximize […] 

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