Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Kauffman Foundation Quarterly Survey of Bloggers



There are lots of economic indicators to track the U.S. economy, but Tim Kane at the Kauffman Foundation came up with a new one about a year ago—a quarterly survey of economics bloggers, and he invited me to join the 13-member board of advisors for the project. The most recent survey was conducted in mid-October, and the results of the fourth “Quarterly Survey of Leading Economics Bloggers” were just released by the Kauffman Foundation (press release here, full report here). 

Tim Kane is featured on the CNBC segment above, where he discusses the background and details of the bloggers survey, and I summarize some of the key findings here at the Enterprise Blog

16 Comments:

At 10/26/2010 5:47 PM, Blogger juandos said...

What realistic economist (keynesians don't fall into that category) said that the stimulus actually helped?

 
At 10/26/2010 6:20 PM, Blogger PeakTrader said...

Juandos, it seems, the hostility and uncertainty thrown at the "wealth creators" neutralized the fiscal stimulus and much of the monetary stimulus.

 
At 10/26/2010 7:14 PM, Blogger juandos said...

Hey PT, as usual I think you're right on the money...

Still there's one more glaring problem that I see, there was no 'real' wealth/money backing up that stimulus crapola...

Just where did that trillion bucks come from?

 
At 10/26/2010 7:50 PM, Blogger Hydra said...

There is no control experiment, so we cannot prove it did not help. Without an experiment and accepted standards to measure against, all you have is an unproven theory.

Ask anyone who works on a crew for a paving contractor if it helped them.

Sure, someone is going to have to pay the bill. At least they will have a smooth road to take them to work.

 
At 10/26/2010 7:54 PM, Blogger Hydra said...

Maybe there would not be such hostility if the wealth creators created some for others than themselves.

Where is the wealth created by credit default swaps?

 
At 10/26/2010 8:02 PM, Blogger Hydra said...

It is not only a question of where it came from, but where it went.

Systems engineering 101. You have a rare ability to draw the boundaries around your economic theories so that you always get the answer you want.

Sure, if you pick a rotating frame of reference, you can ignore Coreolus.

No wonder you are dizzy.

 
At 10/26/2010 8:02 PM, Blogger Hydra said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

 
At 10/26/2010 8:23 PM, Blogger Paul said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

 
At 10/26/2010 8:24 PM, Blogger Paul said...

"There is no control experiment, so we cannot prove it did not help."

And do you make sure to point that out when Obama goes on with his bajillion jobs "created or saved" nonsense?

In truth, we can be reasonably sure of the gross inefficiency of his firehosing a trillion bucks at favored political targets.

"Ask anyone who works on a crew for a paving contractor if it helped them."

Much like the glazier who replaces the broken window at the butcher shop.

 
At 10/26/2010 11:03 PM, Blogger Hydra said...

Obama cannot prove his nonsense, either.

Which only proves that we cannot be reasonably sure what the other outcome might have been.

It might have been better, of worse. We will never know.

What we do know is that multiple countries offered stimuli.

Maybe all government has the same bad motives.

It does appear that those countries with larger stimuli rebounded fastest. China, for example. Then again, with strong command and control government mlanagement, China is free to do as it pleases.

 
At 10/26/2010 11:12 PM, Blogger Hydra said...

I understand the broken window argument but your simile escapes me.

If the butcher wants to stay in business he has to replace the window. Even if be has to borrow.

Suppose the window was broken by a lunatic with a credit default swap. Government might catch the lunatic, but in the meantime it has an interest in keeping the honest butcher in business.

 
At 10/27/2010 2:50 AM, Blogger PeakTrader said...

Juandos, the fiscal stimulus came from the future, and its failure (to generate a virtuous cycle of consumption-employment) means even slower future growth.

Hydra, are the poor better off if the top 10% creates $1 trillion of wealth or if they don't?

Is it better to promote economic growth and tax it or prevent economic growth and tax it even more?

 
At 10/27/2010 6:26 AM, Blogger geoih said...

Oh no, Krugman isn't included! They must all be faceless right-wing uncredentialed dolts with no 'professional' control.

I love the one guy using the firing of that Dept. of Ag. bureaucrat as an example of how blogs are bad. It was the government establishment that flew off the handle and fired the woman without checking their facts first.

Just another example of the beautiful mainstream media not liking the great unwashed masses showing them up.

 
At 10/27/2010 7:37 AM, Blogger Paul said...

"I understand the broken window argument but your simile escapes me."

You said to ask the(Bacon-Davis mandated, politically targetted)paving crews if the stimulus helped them.

"If the butcher wants to stay in business he has to replace the window. Even if be has to borrow."

But he's not better off.

"Suppose the window was broken by a lunatic with a credit default swap."

Huh?

"Government might catch the lunatic, but in the meantime it has an interest in keeping the honest butcher in business."

Uh, no it doesn't.

 
At 10/27/2010 8:30 AM, Blogger juandos said...

Typical hydra...

"At least they will have a smooth road to take them to work"...

Hmmm, what part of the Constitution mandates federal money for local roads?

Besides the roads and bridges should've already been paid for by the federal vehicle fuel taxes extorted nationwide...

"Where is the wealth created by credit default swaps?"...

Gee! I wonder if this started due to federal interference in the housing market?

"It does appear that those countries with larger stimuli rebounded fastest"...

And the credible proof is what?

BTW is there a federal mandate in the Constitution regarding spending money that doesn't actually exist on Obama's slush fund (a.k.a. stimulus money)?

 
At 10/27/2010 5:23 PM, Blogger George said...

The key question: Is this a leading indicator, a trailing indicator, or a contrary indicator...among other alternatives.

But many thanks for finding it anyhow.

 

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