US

Economists and Conventions

A US city hosting a big convention will enjoy a higher boost to incremental spending — holding the number of visitors and their average incomes fixed — if those visitors are auto dealers rather than economists.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Alesina
Alberto Alesina
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Not a lot of impulse spending among economists by my observation. You can charge them a lot for WiFi however.
Baicker
Katherine Baicker
University of Chicago
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Never been to their convention. My response assumes they spend less time than we do inside our hotel rooms interviewing job canditates.
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Chetty
Raj Chetty
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Economists spend all of their time in the hotel doing interviews.
Currie
Janet Currie
Princeton Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Deaton
Angus Deaton
Princeton
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
I have a strong prior, but it is pure prejudice and there is a high probability of it being wrong.
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Sorry -- I'm not familiar with the spending habits of auto dealers!
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Although economists are known to economize and some think tipping as tourists irrational, in truth, who knows?
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Einav
Liran Einav
Stanford
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Agree, except for Orley Ashenfelter's wine brigade.
Finkelstein
Amy Finkelstein
MIT
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Goolsbee
Austan Goolsbee
Chicago
Strongly Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
Economists are known for parties and blowing money. The original AEA motto was 'Cras Ignorare' (FORGET TOMORROW)
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Uncertain
8
Bio/Vote History
Hall
Robert Hall
Stanford
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Those dealers know how to have fun...
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Dealers have high-powered incentives. Winners may celebrate a lot and losers drown their sorrows. Low variance makes economists staid.
Holmström
Bengt Holmström
MIT
Uncertain
6
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Deep Q: By being dismal (scientists), do economists exert a negative gen eqm effect on the natives, thereby actually depressing consumption?
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Businessmen supposedly have larger spending accounts. According to one "survey", ladies of the evening leave town when economists arrive.
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
we are lengendary cheap skates. this is why we can't hold the aea convention on a weekend in las veags -- we don't spend enough!
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Economists are famous cheapskates.
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Based on sample of experts (n=1)
Saez
Emmanuel Saez
Berkeley
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
We hate to be called the dismal science, but I fear we can be a dismal lot - or perhaps we work so hard there is no time to spend money.
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Economists rarely try to impress each other with how much money they can spend. Auto dealers, by reputation, do this fairly often.
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Only safe prediction is that those who make money via tips fear the AEA. Economists known to be bad tippers.
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
.. because, basically, we're boring.