US

Steel and Aluminum Tariffs

Imposing new US tariffs on steel and aluminum will improve Americans’ welfare.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
It will help some Americans and hurt others. But the overall benefits are likely to be quite limited, and losses larger.
Alesina
Alberto Alesina
Harvard
Strongly Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Strongly Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Strongly Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Simple answer is no! Complex answer is that this _could be_ a strategic gambit in a longer game that deters abuse of free trade agreements.
Baicker
Katherine Baicker
University of Chicago
Strongly Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT
Strongly Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Strongly Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Chetty
Raj Chetty
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Strongly Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Strongly Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Deaton
Angus Deaton
Princeton
Strongly Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Effects will vary among people, but I expect overall losses will exceed gains.
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Strongly Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
Einav
Liran Einav
Stanford
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Strongly Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Finkelstein
Amy Finkelstein
MIT
Strongly Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Strongly Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
Goolsbee
Austan Goolsbee
Chicago
Strongly Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
SMACK. SMACK [punching self in face] SMACK. SMACK.
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Hall
Robert Hall
Stanford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Strongly Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
A robust result is that free trade increases national income. The cases where this is not true are rare and hard to spot.
Holmström
Bengt Holmström
MIT
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Strongly Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Strongly Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
They may help SOME Americans SIGNIFANTLY but the number is small and the costs to others will far exceed the gains.
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Strongly Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Steel and alumin are intermediate inputs, so this broadly harmful
-see background information here
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Strongly Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Strongly Disagree
4
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
I thought we had learned our lesson with Smoot-Hawley
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale
Strongly Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Saez
Emmanuel Saez
Berkeley
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Strongly Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
A small number of people, engaged in steel and aluminum production, will benefit from these tariffs, at great cost to many others.
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Strongly Disagree
9
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Strongly Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Strongly Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Strongly Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
Strongly Disagree
4
Bio/Vote History
In net we want more trade not less. This is unlikely to help and runs the risk of starting a trade war. SAD
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Strongly Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
It will improve some Americans welfare, & hurt many others. On balance it's a very costly way to help those who gain.