James Hamilton: “Are consumer sentiment studies a good measure of the economy?”

Jim Hamilton (with others) answers the question in the San Diego  Union-Tribune:

YES: Consumer sentiment is a useful economic indicator, though it is not the most important or reliable economic measure to which we should be paying attention. When coupled with the stock-market correction and heightened measures of policy uncertainty, the fall in consumer sentiment definitely concerns me. The Trump administration should take this as a warning flag to be much more cautious about the hornet’s nest of tariffs and retaliations that it has stirred up.

 

5 thoughts on “James Hamilton: “Are consumer sentiment studies a good measure of the economy?””

  1. Macroduck

    Off topic – Pete Buttigieg is running for president:

    https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/13/pete-buttigieg-michigan-senate-run-00227583

    Based on his steady stream of attacks on the felon-in-chief on YouTube, Adam Schiff is also thinking about running. Polls show that Kamala Harris is the voter favorite so far, but it’s kinda early for polls to matter.

    None of this is out of the ordinary for the party out of power. Just thought you should know. The big issue for now is not “who’s on first”. The big issue for now is whether Democrats pull together or pull apart. Folks want to resist the felon. Democrats need to make it easy to resist. That means no food fights among Democrats.

    1. Big

      The Dems need a new generation of leaders. Every time I hear a Dem use the term “working class” I cringe. That’s a totally out-of-touch, dated and – frankly – insulting term. Nobody in the US sees themselves as a ‘class’; they all see themselves as potentially upward-mobile. That term sound like something from the 1930s. (ie: the Bernie Sanders era).

      1. Macroduck

        Well, Bernie is endlessly popular with a lot of people. Maybe the language of an era before Democrats started “triangulating” (adopting Republican policies) shouldn’t be dismissed lightly.

    2. baffling

      trump seems to think that he is eligible to run for a third term. if true, that should also qualify obama. i would like to see obama and trump on the debate stage.

  2. Moses Herzog

    5_stars post, 5-stars comment. Although if Prof Hamilton could see it to be more commenter friendly on this blog, it would be EVER so kind and gracious (PLEASE??)

    NO?? OK Slok and Krugman from now on, you win James

Comments are closed.