Splicetoday

Politics & Media
Feb 20, 2009, 07:12AM

A little agreement, please

A run-down of what economists actually agree on.

Context:

Here is the list, together with the percentage of economists who agree:

1. A ceiling on rents reduces the quantity and quality of housing available. (93%)

2. Tariffs and import quotas usually reduce general economic welfare. (93%)

3. Flexible and floating exchange rates offer an effective international monetary arrangement. (90%)

4. Fiscal policy (e.g., tax cut and/or government expenditure increase) has a significant stimulative impact on a less than fully employed economy. (90%)

5. The United States should not restrict employers from outsourcing work to foreign countries. (90%)

6. The United States should eliminate agricultural subsidies. (85%)

7. Local and state governments should eliminate subsidies to professional sports franchises. (85%)

8. If the federal budget is to be balanced, it should be done over the business cycle rather than yearly. (85%)

9. The gap between Social Security funds and expenditures will become unsustainably large within the next fifty years if current policies remain unchanged. (85%)

10. Cash payments increase the welfare of recipients to a greater degree than do transfers-in-kind of equal cash value. (84%)

11. A large federal budget deficit has an adverse effect on the economy. (83%)

12. A minimum wage increases unemployment among young and unskilled workers. (79%)

13. The government should restructure the welfare system along the lines of a “negative income tax.” (79%)

14. Effluent taxes and marketable pollution permits represent a better approach to pollution control than imposition of pollution ceilings. (78%)

Discussion

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