From WSJ op-ed via AEI:
The second factor [in the slow recovery] is less obvious, but possibly also of great importance…. Congress and [the] President signaled their intentions to introduce major changes in taxes, government spending and regulations–changes that could radically transform the American economy.
…
… other government proposals created greater uncertainty and risk for businesses and investors. …
Reader CoRev argues that economic uncertainty indicators such as the Baker, Bloom and Davis based on content analysis of newspaper articles are instances of GIGO (garbage in, garbage out). Here is a plot of another indicator suggesting current elevated uncertainty.
Figure 0: Measure of risk/uncertainty (red). Observation for April is data through 4/23.
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Figure 1: Cumulative sum of mass shooting casualties, beginning 2016M11; deaths inflicted by non-Muslims (dark red), wounded inflicted by non-Muslims (pink), deaths inflicted by Muslims (dark blue), wounded inflicted by Muslims (light blue). Source: Mother Jones. Tabulations of religion of perpetrator by author.
Longer perspective displayed in this post.
Despite reader Ed Hanson‘s comment:
[T]he current Monthly EPU is at an elevated level, but it has been at this elevated level 7 out of the past 9 years. The elevated value is better described as normal for about the last decade.
And his concluding admonishment:
Perspective, Menzie
I still believe that economic policy uncertainty as measured by the news based index (which Ed Hanson was discussing) is elevated.
Figure 1: Monthly Economic Policy Uncertainty, news based (blue), baseline (red), as reported. Source: http://www.policyuncertainty.com.
A sequel to my rebuttal to an anti-log manifesto:
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From PredictIt:
From Goldman Sachs, “How Easy Is It to Win a Trade War?” (Stehn/Hatzius) today:
Thanks, Trump!
Source: ino.
That’s HTS code 84799041, on the Section 301 hit list released today. Mr. Trump has the thanks of a grateful Nation for stopping intellectual property theft in this important category.
The entire list is here.
There’s a 30 60 day consultation period. Since around $50 billion of goods is targeted, China will likely impose proportional measures if and when retaliation occurs.