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.

Congress and Monetary Policy

Legislation introduced in Congress would require the Federal Reserve to "submit to the appropriate congressional committees…a Directive Policy Rule", which shall "describe the strategy or rule of the Federal Open Market Committee for the systematic quantitative adjustment of the Policy Instrument Target to respond to a change in the Intermediate Policy Inputs." Should the Fed deviate from the rule, the Fed Chair would have to "testify before the appropriate congressional committees as to why the [rule]…is not in compliance." Enacting this provision would improve monetary policy outcomes in the U.S.

Responses

Source: Clark Center Economic Experts Panel
Methodology

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

July 14, 2014

Patents

Question A:

All else equal, Patent Assertion Entities — which specialize in acquiring and asserting patents and are popularly known as “patent trolls" — promote innovation in the U.S.

Responses

Source: Clark Center Economic Experts Panel
Methodology

Question B:

Within the software industry, the US patent system makes consumers better off than they would be in the absence of patents.

Responses

Source: Clark Center Economic Experts Panel
Methodology

Business, Management, & Corporate Performance

June 24, 2014

Liquidity

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

There is a social value to having institutions that issue liquid liabilities that are backed by illiquid assets.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

June 3, 2014

Gary Becker

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statements:

A: Employers that discriminate in hiring will be at a competitive disadvantage, if their customers do not care about their mix of employees, compared with firms that do not discriminate.

B: Rising market wages are an important reason — over and above any changes in medical technology, social norms or preferences — why family sizes have fallen over the past century in rich countries.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

May 20, 2014

Net Neutrality II

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

Considering both distributional effects and changes in efficiency, it is a good idea to let companies that send video or other content to consumers pay more to Internet service providers for the right to send that traffic using faster or higher quality service.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

May 6, 2014

European Debt

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

The recent oversubscribed debt issues of Greece and Portugal suggest that sovereign default by any euro area country is unlikely in the foreseeable future.

Business Cycles, Recessions, & Crises

April 22, 2014

College Athletes

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

If the NCAA let colleges pay athletes with more than scholarships (which currently may cover tuition, books, room and board), then top colleges in men’s basketball and football would pay most athletes substantial sums beyond full scholarships.

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

April 7, 2014

Russia Sanctions

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

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

Clark Center Economic Experts Panel

March 25, 2014

Supplying Kidneys

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statement:

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.

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