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.

Russia Sanctions

Past experience suggests that economic sanctions do little to deter the target countries from their course of action.

Responses

Source: Clark Center Economic Experts Panel
Methodology

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

March 25, 2014

Supplying Kidneys

A market that allows payment for human kidneys should be established on a trial basis to help extend the lives of patients with kidney disease.

Responses

Source: Clark Center Economic Experts Panel
Methodology

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

March 11, 2014

Robots

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statements:

A: Advancing automation has not historically reduced employment in the United States.

B: Information technology and automation are a central reason why median wages have been stagnant in the US over the past decade, despite rising productivity.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

February 25, 2014

Innovation and Growth

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

Future innovations worldwide will not be transformational enough to promote sustained per-capita economic growth rates in the U.S. and western Europe over the next century as high as those over the past 150 years.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

February 11, 2014

Chairman Bernanke

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

Informed postmortems of Ben Bernanke’s Fed chairmanship will judge favorably the Fed's creative and aggressive policy initiatives from autumn 2008 through early 2009.

Business Cycles, Recessions, & Crises

January 28, 2014

Surge Pricing

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

Using surge pricing to allocate transportation services — such as Uber does with its cars — raises consumer welfare through various potential channels, such as increasing the supply of those services, allocating them to people who desire them the most, and reducing search and queuing costs.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

January 13, 2014

Bah, Humbug

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

Giving specific presents as holiday gifts is inefficient, because recipients could satisfy their preferences much better with cash.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

December 17, 2013

Low-Skilled Immigrants

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statements:

A: The average US citizen would be better off if a larger number of low-skilled foreign workers were legally allowed to enter the US each year.

B: Unless they were compensated by others, many low-skilled American workers would be substantially worse off if a larger number of low-skilled foreign workers were legally allowed to enter the US each year.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

December 10, 2013

Diversification

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

In general, absent any inside information, an equity investor can expect to do better by choosing a well-diversified, low-cost index fund than by picking a few stocks.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

November 20, 2013

Fed Policy

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statements:

A: Enactment of the Senate bill to subject the Federal Reserve's monetary policy and discount window decisions to an audit by the Comptroller General of the U.S. would improve the Fed's legitimacy without hurting its decision making.

B: The Fed should not reduce its purchases of mortgage-backed securities and treasurys until there is clearer evidence of strong and sustained employment growth.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

November 6, 2013