How Will the Wall Be Funded?

Donald Trump has reaffirmed: “One way or the other Mexico will pay for the wall.” At the same time, as recently as today, Trump threatened a government shutdown if Congress did not provide funding for the wall. Time to consider how these points are — or are not — internally consistent, even allowing for the possibility that Mexico might “ultimately” pay.

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Guest Contribution: “The Signal/Noise Ratio in US North Korea Policy”

Today, we present part two of a guest post written by Jeffrey Frankel, Harpel Professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and formerly a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. An earlier version appeared as “Can Trump Deal with North Korea and China?” in Project Syndicate.

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Guest Contribution: “Deal-maker Trump Can’t Deal”

Today, we present a guest post written by Jeffrey Frankel, Harpel Professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and formerly a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. An earlier version appeared as “Can Trump Deal with North Korea and China?” in Project Syndicate.

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“Fostering a Dynamic Global Economy”

Here at this conference today:

Friday, August 25, 2017
Chair: Susan M. Collins
Former Dean, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

University of Michigan

8 a.m.
Opening Remarks

Janet L. Yellen | Speech
Chair
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

8:30 a.m.
Fostering Business Dynamism and Ensuring Competitive Markets

Authors: Chang-Tai Hsieh | Paper
Professor
University of Chicago

Pete Klenow | Paper, Remarks
Professor
Stanford University

Discussant: Gita Gopinath | Remarks
Professor
Harvard University

9:05 a.m.
General Discussion

9:55 a.m.
Income Inequality and the Distribution Aspects of International Trade

Author: Nina Pavcnik | Paper, Remarks
Professor
Dartmouth College

Discussant: David Dorn | Remarks
Professor
University of Zurich

10:30 a.m.
General Discussion

10:55 a.m.
Panel on the Changing Landscape of International Trade

Panelists: Ann E. Harrison | Remarks
Professor
University of Pennsylvania

Catherine L. Mann | Remarks
Chief Economist

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Peter K. Schott | Remarks
Professor
Yale University

John Van Reenen | Paper, Remarks
Professor
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

11:55 a.m.
General Discussion

1 p.m.
Luncheon Address

Mario Draghi | Speech
President

European Central Bank

2 p.m.
Adjournment

Saturday, August 26, 2017
Chair: Randall S. Kroszner
Professor

University of Chicago

8 a.m.
Balancing Short-term Fiscal Stimulus with Longer-term Sustainability

Authors: Alan J. Auerbach | Paper
Professor

University of California-Berkeley

Yuriy Gorodnichenko| Paper
Professor
University of California-Berkeley

Discussant: Jason Furman | Remarks
Professor

Harvard University

8:35 a.m.
General Discussion

9 a.m.
Achieving Balanced Global Growth

Author: Menzie Chinn | Paper, Remarks
Professor

University of Wisconsin

Discussant:
Maurice Obstfeld |Remarks

Economic Counsellor
International Monetary Fund

10 a.m.
General Discussion

10:25 a.m.
Overview Panel

Panelists: Norman Chan | Remarks
Chief Executive
Hong Kong Monetary Authority

Timothy J. Kehoe | Remarks
Professor
University of Minnesota

Carmen M. Reinhart
Professor
Harvard University

11:25 a.m.
General Discussion

Reappoint Janet Yellen as Fed chair

Four years ago, I made the case why Janet Yellen would make an excellent chair of the Federal Reserve. As testimony to the power of our mighty blog, President Obama followed our advice and nominated her for a four-year term. So I thought I’d call attention now to a few of the reasons why President Trump should ask Yellen to serve a second term.
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Guest Contribution: “Why Tax Breaks for Iffy Jobs are Bad Economic Development “

Today, we are pleased to present a guest contribution by Ann Markusen, Professor Emerita and Director Arts Economy Initiative and Project on Regional and Industrial Economics at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

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Killing the Messenger (on Climate)

From WaPo today:

The Trump administration has decided to disband the federal advisory panel for the National Climate Assessment, a group aimed at helping policymakers and private-sector officials incorporate the government’s climate analysis into long-term planning.

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