From the inbox:
(KANSAS CITY, Mo.), July 28, 2011 – Optimism is out; pessimism is in among the country’s top economics bloggers as they look to 2012 and beyond, particularly regarding jobs. A new Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation survey released today shows that only 50 percent of respondents anticipate employment growth, a decrease of 20 percent from second quarter.
Fully 95 percent of respondents view current economic conditions as “mixed” or “facing recession,” an increase of 10 percent from second quarter, and a third predict a double-dip recession during 2012. “Uncertain” is once again the top adjective economics bloggers use to describe the economy, and respondents shared expectations of higher annual deficits and the top marginal tax rate. ...
As the debt controversy continues on Capitol Hill, the consensus of economics bloggers was strong, but neither conventionally liberal nor conservative. More than half support raising the U.S. debt limit without conditions. But a strong majority – 88 percent – also favors the idea of a requirement for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to account long-term liabilities in its budget assessment.
When asked to evaluate the 2009 stimulus, 77 percent of economics bloggers believe that it had a neutral or negative effect. Looking forward, when asked how fiscal balance should be achieved, respondents favored a mix weighted toward spending cuts rather than tax increases. ...For this Kauffman Economic Outlook: A Quarterly Survey of Leading Economics Bloggers (www.kauffman.org/outlook), the Kauffman Foundation sent invitations to more than 200 leading economics bloggers as identified in the Palgrave’s econolog.net December 2010 rankings. The Foundation surveys the bloggers each quarter about their views of the economy, entrepreneurship and innovation.
