US Economic Experts Panel

The Clark Center for Global Markets explores economists’ views on vital policy issues via our US and European Economic Experts Panels. We regularly poll over 80 economists on a range of timely and relevant topics. Panelists not only have the opportunity to respond to a poll’s statements, but an opportunity to comment and provide additional resources, if they wish. The Clark Center then shares the results with the public in a straightforward and concise format.

Please note that from September 2022, the language in our polls will use just two modifiers to refer to the size of an effect:

‘Substantial’: when an effect is large enough that it would make a difference that matters for the behavior involved.
‘Measurable’: when the direction of the effect is clear, but perhaps experts would differ as to whether it is substantial.

The NCAA

NCAA Division I schools coordinate compensation for men’s basketball and football players (precluding actual pay and limiting non-monetary benefits), providing rents to member schools (which may be shared with others) at the expense of those players.

Responses

Source: Clark Center Economic Experts Panel
Methodology

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

April 2, 2018

Steel and Aluminum Tariffs

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

Responses

Source: Clark Center Economic Experts Panel
Methodology

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

March 12, 2018

Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program

This week's IGM Economic Experts Panel Statements:

A) By providing electronic benefit cards to choose and buy groceries at stores, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program currently does more for its recipients' well-being than it would if the program directly provided a smaller array of foods to its recipients, while commensurately reducing the amount they could spend on groceries of their own choosing.

B) By providing electronic benefit cards to choose and buy groceries at stores, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program currently does more to raise food security and reduce hunger than it would if the program directly provided a smaller array of foods to its recipients, while commensurately reducing the amount they could spend on groceries of their own choosing.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

March 2, 2018

Missing Productivity Growth

This week's IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

The biggest reason for the measured slowdown in US productivity growth since the mid-2000s is that productivity increases have gone mismeasured, including new and better products and services that have been insufficiently captured by real output data.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

February 15, 2018

The Dollar

This week's IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

Because of the many special and unique roles that the dollar plays in global commerce, US citizens are substantially better off than they otherwise would be.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

January 30, 2018

Immigration and Innovation

This week's IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

Over the past two years, all else equal, the appeal of the US as a destination for immigrants has changed in ways that will likely decrease innovation in the US economy.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

January 17, 2018

Aging

This week's IGM Economic Experts Panel statements:

A) Without changes in policy, a rising share of people who are over age 65 will exert a substantial downward influence on per capita real GDP in western European countries.

B) In European countries where the share of those over 65 is rising, there are net social benefits to adjusting retirement ages for state-financed (including pay-as-you-go) pension systems upwards, so that revised retirement ages better reflect longer life expectancies.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

January 3, 2018

Bitcoin II

This week's IGM Economic Experts Panel statements:

A) A bitcoin has a fundamental value of at least $1,000.

B) The best forecast for the value of one bitcoin in 2 years is its current price.

Business Cycles, Recessions, & Crises

December 20, 2017

Employment and the US Economy

This week's IGM Economic Experts Panel statements:

A) The concept of “maximum sustainable employment” is well defined enough to be used beneficially in economic policymaking.

B) Right now the US economy is operating below maximum sustainable employment.

Business Cycles, Recessions, & Crises

December 6, 2017

Tax Reform

This week's IGM Economic Experts Panel Statements:

A) If the US enacts a tax bill similar to those currently moving through the House and Senate— and assuming no other changes in tax or spending policy — US GDP will be substantially higher a decade from now than under the status quo.

B) If the US enacts a tax bill similar to those currently moving through the House and Senate— and assuming no other changes in tax or spending policy — the US debt-to-GDP ratio will be substantially higher a decade from now than under the status quo.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

November 21, 2017