US

Inflation and the Fed

Question A:

The Federal Reserve should be setting interest rates with the assumption that there will be no measurable effects of US tariffs on inflation by the summer of 2026.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question B:

If Federal Reserve Governor Cook is forced to leave her position, the inflation risk premia on US government debt will rise substantially.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question A Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
It is very hard to believe that there would be no impact on price increases from the tariffs at such and horizon. Even if we are not seeing these price increases yet (which has plausible reasons), it would be reckless to make monetary policy decisions with such an assumption.
Aguiar
Mark Aguiar
Princeton
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
I would expect most of the effect of the tariffs on price levels to have worked through by summer 2026, but timing is uncertain and the policies may change.
-see background information here
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
The data already suggest inflation is happening. It might stabilize by then, but given the constant changes in policy, who knows.
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Bergemann
Dirk Bergemann
Yale
Strongly Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
The ongoing process of imposing tariffs is volatile and seems likely to be contested and evolving for an uncertain period time. Moreover, even short-lived tariff-induced price shocks could un-anchor inflation expectations for a significant period of time.
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Uncertain
5
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
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
could be the case.....need evidence/analysis, not assertion.
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Strongly Disagree
9
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Strongly Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Hurst
Erik Hurst
Chicago Booth
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
The current tariffs will affect the price level as they eventually get passed through to US consumers and firm. These effects should take place by next summer. There should be no effect on price levels in late 2026 from this round of tariffs.
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
If we knew tariffs were now locked down not changing this would be my assumption. But the goal posts keep moving so not sure this is a robust assumption.
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Strongly Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
I don't know the current data on inflation well enough to judge whether this would be a good policy.
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Peterson Institute for International Economics
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Pathak
Parag Pathak
MIT
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
We have no good idea what tariffs will be in force between now and 2026, but have at least circumstantial evidence that tariffs can be disruptive, and so the possibility of inflationary pressure from tariffs should not be dismissed.
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
I see the argument that the effects will be relatively short-lived, but this statement implies that the Fed should be very confident that they will be very short-lived. Seems a bit strong.
Scott Morton
Fiona Scott Morton
Yale
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Strongly Disagree
9
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
The question is poorly posed. Tariffs are a significant tax increase, which is an adverse supply shock. Whether that impacts inflation depends on Monetary policy.
Stantcheva
Stefanie Stantcheva
Harvard
Uncertain
6
Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stokey
Nancy Stokey
University of Chicago
Disagree
4
Bio/Vote History
Syverson
Chad Syverson
Chicago Booth
Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
Disagree
1
Bio/Vote History
Why assume that?
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Disagree
2
Bio/Vote History
Werning
Ivan Werning
MIT
Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
Should make no such assumption, should prepare and think through responses to different possible scenarios and be data driven. Tariffs likely to have a temporary effect on inflation. Due to tradeoffs, optimal policy allowing higher inflation temporarily.
-see background information here
-see background information here
-see background information here

Question B Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
It seems very likely that President Trump's decisions and rhetoric in general will impact US inflation, the credibility of the Fed, and US risk premium. His actions towards Lisa Cook add salt to the wound.
Aguiar
Mark Aguiar
Princeton
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
I believe it will raise the risk premium, but the amount is not clear.
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
I think it's likely to rise. By substantial, I mean 10 basis points or above.
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Bergemann
Dirk Bergemann
Yale
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Uncertain
6
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Some of the associated risk premium has probably already been embedded in term premia. If this matter is resolved in favor of the President's ability to remove and replace a Federal Reserve Board Governor in this manner, risk premia would likely rise further,
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Einav
Liran Einav
Stanford
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Glaeser
Edward Glaeser
Harvard
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Hurst
Erik Hurst
Chicago Booth
Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
The financial markets did nor price in any substantial increase in the inflation premium when the attempted firing was announced. There are still 11 members of the Feds monetary policy committee. But future political pressure could increase inflation expectations.
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
The timing is difficult to predict but this would a major encroachment on Fed independence and it will raise funding costs.
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Disagree
4
Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Peterson Institute for International Economics
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Markets seem excessively complacent, and Governor Cook's ousting would be only one (more) step (though a very significant one) on the road to inadvisable political control of the Fed.
Pathak
Parag Pathak
MIT
Uncertain
6
Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
A forced departure would indicate a loss of Fed independence and may well lead to eroding borrower confidence and higher risk premia.
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Uncertain
6
Bio/Vote History
It should increase risk-premia, but, given because of the surprising pro-Trump previous decisions of the Supreme Court, it may already be mostly reflected in current prices.
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Disagree
4
Bio/Vote History
I think "substantially" is too strong.
Scott Morton
Fiona Scott Morton
Yale
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Stantcheva
Stefanie Stantcheva
Harvard
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stokey
Nancy Stokey
University of Chicago
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Syverson
Chad Syverson
Chicago Booth
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Hard to determine the effect of any one thing
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
I'm not confident of my expectation of how "the market's" expectation of Fed behavior would change.
Werning
Ivan Werning
MIT
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Forcing an exit of a Fed official for political reasons negatively affects a huge asset: Monetary Policy Independence. Terrible signal. Less clear if it must be reflected in inflation premia (required for UNCERTAINTY)or simply in the average expected inflation rate in rates.