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
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
Responses weighted by each expert's confidence
Question A Participant Responses
| Participant | University | Vote | Confidence | Bio/Vote History |
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![]() Daron Acemoglu |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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.
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![]() Mark Aguiar |
Princeton | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Joseph Altonji |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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 |
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![]() Alan Auerbach |
Berkeley | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() David Autor |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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The data already suggest inflation is happening. It might stabilize by then, but given the constant changes in policy, who knows.
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![]() Abhijit Banerjee |
MIT | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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![]() Dirk Bergemann |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Marianne Bertrand |
Chicago | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Markus Brunnermeier |
Princeton | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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![]() Judith Chevalier |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() David Cutler |
Harvard | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Darrell Duffie |
Stanford | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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.
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![]() Aaron Edlin |
Berkeley | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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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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![]() Edward Glaeser |
Harvard | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Pinelopi Goldberg |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Michael Greenstone |
University of Chicago | Bio/Vote History | ||
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could be the case.....need evidence/analysis, not assertion.
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![]() Oliver Hart |
Harvard | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Caroline Hoxby |
Stanford | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Hilary Hoynes |
Berkeley | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Erik Hurst |
Chicago Booth | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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.
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![]() Kenneth Judd |
Stanford | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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![]() Steven Kaplan |
Chicago Booth | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Anil Kashyap |
Chicago Booth | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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.
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![]() Pete Klenow |
Stanford | Bio/Vote History | ||
![]() Jonathan Levin |
Stanford | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Eric Maskin |
Harvard | Bio/Vote History | ||
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I don't know the current data on inflation well enough to judge whether this would be a good policy.
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![]() William Nordhaus |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Maurice Obstfeld |
Peterson Institute for International Economics | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Parag Pathak |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Larry Samuelson |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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.
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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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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.
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![]() Fiona Scott Morton |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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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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.
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![]() Stefanie Stantcheva |
Harvard | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() James Stock |
Harvard | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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![]() Nancy Stokey |
University of Chicago | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Chad Syverson |
Chicago Booth | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Richard Thaler |
Chicago Booth | Bio/Vote History | ||
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Why assume that?
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![]() Christopher Udry |
Northwestern | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Ivan Werning |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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 |
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Question B Participant Responses
| Participant | University | Vote | Confidence | Bio/Vote History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Daron Acemoglu |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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.
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![]() Mark Aguiar |
Princeton | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Joseph Altonji |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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I believe it will raise the risk premium, but the amount is not clear.
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![]() Alan Auerbach |
Berkeley | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() David Autor |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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I think it's likely to rise. By substantial, I mean 10 basis points or above.
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![]() Abhijit Banerjee |
MIT | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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![]() Dirk Bergemann |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Marianne Bertrand |
Chicago | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Markus Brunnermeier |
Princeton | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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![]() Judith Chevalier |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() David Cutler |
Harvard | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Darrell Duffie |
Stanford | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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,
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![]() Aaron Edlin |
Berkeley | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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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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![]() Edward Glaeser |
Harvard | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Pinelopi Goldberg |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Michael Greenstone |
University of Chicago | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Oliver Hart |
Harvard | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Caroline Hoxby |
Stanford | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Hilary Hoynes |
Berkeley | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Erik Hurst |
Chicago Booth | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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.
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![]() Kenneth Judd |
Stanford | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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![]() Steven Kaplan |
Chicago Booth | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Anil Kashyap |
Chicago Booth | Bio/Vote History | ||
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The timing is difficult to predict but this would a major encroachment on Fed independence and it will raise funding costs.
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![]() Pete Klenow |
Stanford | Bio/Vote History | ||
![]() Jonathan Levin |
Stanford | 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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![]() Maurice Obstfeld |
Peterson Institute for International Economics | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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.
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![]() Parag Pathak |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Larry Samuelson |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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A forced departure would indicate a loss of Fed independence and may well lead to eroding borrower confidence and higher risk premia.
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![]() José Scheinkman |
Columbia University | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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.
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![]() Richard Schmalensee |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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I think "substantially" is too strong.
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![]() Fiona Scott Morton |
Yale | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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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![]() Stefanie Stantcheva |
Harvard | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() James Stock |
Harvard | Did Not Answer | Bio/Vote History | |
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![]() Nancy Stokey |
University of Chicago | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Chad Syverson |
Chicago Booth | Bio/Vote History | ||
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![]() Richard Thaler |
Chicago Booth | Bio/Vote History | ||
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Hard to determine the effect of any one thing
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![]() Christopher Udry |
Northwestern | Bio/Vote History | ||
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I'm not confident of my expectation of how "the market's" expectation of Fed behavior would change.
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![]() Ivan Werning |
MIT | Bio/Vote History | ||
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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.
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