Document Type
Working Paper
Publication Date
1-2024
Working Paper Number
2024-01
JEL Codes
E70, E71, E30, E31
Author's RePEc Short ID
pst780
Abstract
Using a unique, nationally representative survey from the 2022 midterm elections, we investigate the partisan divide in beliefs about inflation and monetary policy. We find that party identity is predictive of inflation forecasts even after conditioning on beliefs about both past inflation and the Federal Reserve’s long-run inflation target. Partisan forecast differences are driven by respondents who express low generalized trust in others and have a high degree of political knowledge; high-trust and low- knowledge partisans make similar forecasts all else equal. This finding is consistent with the literature in political psychology that examines the endorsement of conspiracy theories and political misinformation. We argue that the partisan divide in consumer inflation surveys is consistent with strategic responses by partisans.
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Recommended Citation
Struby, Ethan and Farhart, Christina, "Inflation Expectations and Political Polarization: Evidence from the Cooperative Election Study" (2024). Department of Economics Working Paper Series. 19.
https://digitalcommons.carleton.edu/econ_repec/19
