US

Economic Sanctions and Aid

Question A:

The economic and financial sanctions against Russia are substantially limiting its ability to wage war on Ukraine.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question B:

In the absence of continuing flows of Western economic aid, Ukraine's wartime economy will be substantially compromised.

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
"Substantially" is not immediate, but the sanctions have certainly made building, maintaining and manning the Russian war machine more difficult.
Aguiar
Mark Aguiar
Princeton
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
I'm sure the sanctions matter. But I don't whether or not the magnitude reaches the "substantial" level.
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
There is no obvious substantial adverse impact of sanctions on Russia's military capabilities. They have enough funds and materiel for this war. The incentive to bring the war to a stop is increased significantly by sanctions, but that doesn't seem to be enough to stop the war.
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Einav
Liran Einav
Stanford
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Glaeser
Edward Glaeser
Harvard
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
I am far more uncertain about the efficacy of the sanctions, than I am about the sanctions themselves. The sanctions would be justifiable even if they are primarily symbols of outrage..
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
The war is still going on....
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Holmström
Bengt Holmström
MIT
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Has strengthen ties and support from non-Western countries
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Hurst
Erik Hurst
Chicago Booth
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Imagine what Putin could do if he had free access to energy markets for his oil and natural gas, and freely able to buy weapons and their components? I wish they were more effective but they certainly have put limits on Russian war efforts.
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Russia seems to be winning a war of attrition despite sanctions.
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Berkeley
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Pathak
Parag Pathak
MIT
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Sanctions have limited the ability to wage war, but not substantially because of the involvement of other countries, most notably India and China.
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Russia still appears able to bring significant resources to the war, and it is difficult to know what differences we would have seen in the absence of sanctions.
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Sanctions are damaging the Russian economy but probably not enough to substantially limit Russia's war capacity in the short run.
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
Not much visible evidence for this proposition.
Scott Morton
Fiona Scott Morton
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Some critical goods are blocked, other sanctions do not stop flows, but raise the cost of trade and commerce , lowering net gains to Russia.
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Stantcheva
Stefanie Stantcheva
Harvard
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Lack of expertise on this issue
Stock
James Stock
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stokey
Nancy Stokey
University of Chicago
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Still true, although the effects of the sanctions have been declining gradually over the last year, as Russia has discovered and cultivated work-arounds that reduce the impact of the sanctions. For example, oil is exported in “ghost” ships with transfers at sea.
Syverson
Chad Syverson
Chicago Booth
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Russian gov't revenues have been affected by oil price cap, and sanctions have made it harder to obtain certain parts important for military industrial production. Though it seems they are increasingly finding ways around the latter.
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Werning
Ivan Werning
MIT
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Sanctions have a direct effect on Russian economy and a more indirect effect on military capacity. Over time, resilient domestic political power and help from China and others have lessened the impact on military capacity. Yet sanctions likely still have a non zero effect.

Question B Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Aguiar
Mark Aguiar
Princeton
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Two years of military siege by one of the world's three military superpowers can be tough on an economy
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Strongly Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
From public reporting, Ukraine's economy is substantially dependent on foreign aid. The question refers to the "wartime" economy. Assuming that includes the economic ability to conduct war, the answer is even more clear.
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley Did Not Answer 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
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
The mismatch in resources between Ukraine and Russia, and the extent of current destruction, implies to me that ending aid would lead to enormous pain and hardship.
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Holmström
Bengt Holmström
MIT
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Hurst
Erik Hurst
Chicago Booth
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Of course, the Ukrainian economy would collapse without our help. Remember WWII. Even Stalin, Khrushchev and Zhukov admitted that they would not have beaten the Germans without US aid.
-see background information here
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Pathak
Parag Pathak
MIT
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
It is difficult to imagine the Ukraine continuing an effective resistance without continued aid.
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Strongly Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Scott Morton
Fiona Scott Morton
Yale
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Ukraine is small compared to Russia and therefore needs external aid.
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Stantcheva
Stefanie Stantcheva
Harvard
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stokey
Nancy Stokey
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
True. I take “Western” to mean NATO countries plus their allies. Ukraine is much smaller than Russia in terms of both manpower and material resources. Ukraine has a technological edge, and it is the defender while Russia is the aggressor, but fighting a war against Russia alone
Syverson
Chad Syverson
Chicago Booth
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Werning
Ivan Werning
MIT
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History