US

Europe

Question A:

Assuming that Germany eventually agrees to backstop the debt of southern European countries, the eurozone as a whole will be better off if that bailout is unconditional, rather than accompanied by the labor market reforms and future budget controls that Germany is demanding of countries in return.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question B:

If Germany fails to bail out the southern tier of Europe, its own economy will be hurt more — because of output and asset losses — than it would be by an unconditional bailout.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question C:

The main reason other eurozone countries need to worry about Greek banks losing access to ECB support is because the ensuing chaos in Greece could trigger bank runs in peripheral countries.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question A Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Alesina
Alberto Alesina
Harvard
Strongly Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
The trde off has to be help from Gaermany in exchange for reforms and conditionality.
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Baicker
Katherine Baicker
University of Chicago
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Chetty
Raj Chetty
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Depends on how we measure "eurozone as a whole"
Currie
Janet Currie
Princeton
Uncertain
2
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Deaton
Angus Deaton
Princeton
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Too many other contingencies unspecified to be sure. Details matter. As does democracy.
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Longer term budget controls would be better than shorter term.
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
The answer depends, in part, on how that conditionality is designed and implemented, which is not specified in the question, unfortunately.
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Structural reforms are needed, but there is a difference between austerity as punishment and well-designed reforms.
Goldin
Claudia Goldin
Harvard
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Depends how unconditional
Goolsbee
Austan Goolsbee
Chicago
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Hall
Robert Hall
Stanford
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Although the ideal regime to bring discipline to economic policies of the southern Euro countries would be self-reliance, conditions are 2nd
Holmström
Bengt Holmström
MIT
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Strongly Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Without the structural reforms these countries medium term outlook is grim.
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Conditionality could help countries overcome political opposition to painful but necessary policies.
-see background information here
-see background information here
Lazear
Edward Lazear
Stanford
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Uncertain
8
Bio/Vote History
Too many conditionals to give clean answer, particularly fiscal issues.
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Berkeley
Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Saez
Emmanuel Saez
Berkeley
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Shin
Hyun Song Shin
Princeton
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stokey
Nancy Stokey
University of Chicago
Strongly Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Without structural reforms in the highly indebted countries, bailouts won't work. The Germans aren't going to bankroll the south forever.
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
All these questions require better knowledge of details than I possess.
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Zingales
Luigi Zingales
Chicago Booth
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History

Question B Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Alesina
Alberto Alesina
Harvard
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Baicker
Katherine Baicker
University of Chicago
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Chetty
Raj Chetty
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Currie
Janet Currie
Princeton
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Deaton
Angus Deaton
Princeton
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Uncertain
6
Bio/Vote History
Unfortunately, there exist no models or evidence of the costs of collapse to Germany (economists are supposed to use models and evidence).
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Most likely. But Germany might be able to find alterntives in Asia or emerging Europe.
Goldin
Claudia Goldin
Harvard
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Once again, a lot depends on the level of unconditionality
Goolsbee
Austan Goolsbee
Chicago
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
in te end, Germany is going to subsidize to keep it together or else it's going to come apart.
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Hall
Robert Hall
Stanford
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Seems like Europe and Germany are in for bad times no matter what. There's no way Germany could bail out everything.
Holmström
Bengt Holmström
MIT
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Too many factors about the details of a break up and the policies followed under a bailout need to be specified to answer this.
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Lazear
Edward Lazear
Stanford
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Berkeley
Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Saez
Emmanuel Saez
Berkeley
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Shin
Hyun Song Shin
Princeton
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stokey
Nancy Stokey
University of Chicago
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Zingales
Luigi Zingales
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History

Question C Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Alesina
Alberto Alesina
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Baicker
Katherine Baicker
University of Chicago
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Chetty
Raj Chetty
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
That is a reason certainly.
Currie
Janet Currie
Princeton
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Deaton
Angus Deaton
Princeton
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Banks runs are often triggered by self fulfulling expectations. A run in Greece could tip expectations toward a run elsewhere.
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
To bank runs, I would add higher interest rates and general uncertainty.
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Goldin
Claudia Goldin
Harvard
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Goolsbee
Austan Goolsbee
Chicago
Strongly Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Hall
Robert Hall
Stanford
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
We should care about Greece and apply tough love for its own sake, not just the stability of other countries.
Holmström
Bengt Holmström
MIT
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Uncertain
6
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Greece is doomed absent a complete bailout. But then how do Port, Italy, Spain not get the same deal? When Greece collapses watch for runs
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
They might like the precedent too (if the ECB buys Greek debt, it should buy the debt of Spain, Italy, etc. as well).
Lazear
Edward Lazear
Stanford
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Berkeley
Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Saez
Emmanuel Saez
Berkeley
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Shin
Hyun Song Shin
Princeton
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stokey
Nancy Stokey
University of Chicago
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Zingales
Luigi Zingales
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History