…tracking the opinion of leading economists on the stimulus package. Here’s what I can find from among the Top 20 as rated by the University of Connecticut’s IDEAS database. Blue indicates that the economist has publicly endorsed the basic tenets of Obama’s stimulus package, and/or wants a bigger stimulus. Red means they have come out with a public statement indicating skepticism over the stimulus.
1. Joseph E. Stiglitz. Favors big/bigger stimulus (link)
2. Andrei Schleifer
3. Robert J. Barro
4. James Heckman
5. Robert Lucas. Skeptical, thinks monetary tools still exist (link)
6. Peter C.B. Phillips
7. Edward Prescott
8. Martin Feldstein. “The only way to prevent a deepening recession will be a temporary program of increased government spending”. (link)
9. Jean Tirole
10. Daron Acemoglu. Favors basic idea of stimulus, thinks devil is in details (link)
11. Larry Summers. Member of Obama economic team, favors stimulus (link)
12. John Y. Campbell
13. Oliver Blanchard
14. Mark Gertler
15. Paul Krugman. Thanks action is needed drastically, worried stimulus won’t be large enough. (link)
16. Christopher F. Baum
17. Thomas Sargent. Skeptical, thinks stimulus math is based on outmoded economic models (link)
18. Maurice Obstfeld
19. Stephen Turnovsky
20. Nicholas Cox
So that looks like four “pro”s, two “anti”s and one agnostic from among those whom I can find some kind of on-the-record statement. But I’m sure there are many that I’ve missed.