The Council of Economic Advisors is likely to give the US president better policy advice if the Chair and Members of the CEA have published peer-reviewed economics research.
Responses
© 2025. Kent A. Clark Center for Global Markets.
12%
5%
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0%
12%
40%
31%
Responses weighted by each expert's confidence
© 2025. Kent A. Clark Center for Global Markets.
0%
0%
6%
50%
45%
Participant |
University |
Vote |
Confidence |
Bio/Vote History |
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 Daron Acemoglu |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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At least familiarity with nature of econ evidence and recent research is a must. Nonacademics often underestimate uncertainty all evidence.
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 Alberto Alesina |
Harvard | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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 Joseph Altonji |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Alan Auerbach |
Berkeley | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 David Autor |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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Alongside bad military advice, bad economic advice has harmed many nations, citizens and presidents. A CEA head should know some economics!
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 Katherine Baicker |
University of Chicago | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Abhijit Banerjee |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Marianne Bertrand |
Chicago | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Markus Brunnermeier |
Princeton | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Raj Chetty |
Harvard | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Judith Chevalier |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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A capable committed consumer of research likely fine. It would be unusual to achieve that without an advanced degree.
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 David Cutler |
Harvard | Bio/Vote History | ||
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A President needs lots of types of advice, and this is the way to get academic input.
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 Angus Deaton |
Princeton | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Darrell Duffie |
Stanford | Bio/Vote History | ||
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The better economists, on average, are probably those publishing in peer refereed journals. But I don't have evidence for that to cite!
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 Aaron Edlin |
Berkeley | Bio/Vote History | ||
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There is no scarcity of advisers who are not peer-reviewed economists. NEC, Treasury, Commerce, etc. Academics have a valuable perspective.
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 Barry Eichengreen |
Berkeley | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Liran Einav |
Stanford | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Ray Fair |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Amy Finkelstein |
MIT | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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 Pinelopi Goldberg |
Yale | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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 Austan Goolsbee |
Chicago | Bio/Vote History | ||
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...better for whom?
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 Michael Greenstone |
University of Chicago | Bio/Vote History | ||
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all industries have a blind spot for themselves. but familiarity w latest research is impt, if background is talking head or professor
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 Robert Hall |
Stanford | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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 Oliver Hart |
Harvard | Bio/Vote History | ||
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I would conjecture yes. Your advice will be better if you can understand the latest thinking and this is more likely if you publish.
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 Bengt Holmström |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Caroline Hoxby |
Stanford | Bio/Vote History | ||
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Economic policy-making at the White House level requires great analytical skill and deep economic knowledge.
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 Hilary Hoynes |
Berkeley | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Kenneth Judd |
Stanford | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Steven Kaplan |
Chicago Booth | Bio/Vote History | ||
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Economics training and good economic judgment trump peer reviewed papers.
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 Anil Kashyap |
Chicago Booth | Bio/Vote History | ||
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Junk arguments abound in economics. Research experience helps prevent them getting to the President.
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 Pete Klenow |
Stanford | Bio/Vote History | ||
 Jonathan Levin |
Stanford | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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 Eric Maskin |
Harvard | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 William Nordhaus |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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Would emphasize background in academic or similar institutions and participation in professional associations.
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 Emmanuel Saez |
Berkeley | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Larry Samuelson |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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Peer reviewed research is not the only source of insight, but it is an essential input, and the CEA is the obvious place to provide it.
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 José Scheinkman |
Columbia University | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Richard Schmalensee |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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Publication demonstrates training and quality of mind; necessary but not sufficient conditions for good economic advice.
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 Carl Shapiro |
Berkeley | Bio/Vote History | ||
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 Robert Shimer |
University of Chicago | Bio/Vote History | ||
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This question is uncomfortably self-serving
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 Richard Thaler |
Chicago Booth | Bio/Vote History | ||
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Publications neither necessary nor sufficient to be good CEA chair. Jason Furman has few but has been excellent.
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 Christopher Udry |
Northwestern | Bio/Vote History | ||
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