Consensus among economists 2020—A sharpening of the picture

Based on an extensive survey of the members of the American Economic Association, the authors of this article compare consensus among economists on several economic propositions over four decades. The main result is an increased consensus on many economic propositions, specifically the appropriate role of fiscal policy in macroeconomics and income distribution issues. Economists now embrace the role of fiscal policy in a way not apparent in previous surveys and largely support government policies that mitigate income inequality. Another area of consensus is the concern with climate change and the use of appropriate policy tools to address it.