Gross Domestic Product

Question A: Gross Domestic Product has outsized influence on the state policymaking process compared to other relevant economic indicators.

Question B: Economic policy would improve if policymakers more frequently relied on non-Gross Domestic Product economic indicators.

Question A: Gross Domestic Product has outsized influence on the state policymaking process compared to other relevant economic indicators.

Economist	Institution	Opinion	Confidence	Comment
David Brasington	University of Cincinnati	Agree	4
Ron Cheung	Oberlin College	Agree	7
Bob Gitter	Ohio Wesleyan University	Disagree	7	I don't think policymakers look at GDP, per se, but rather employment and wages which are correlated with GDP.
Nancy Haskell	University of Dayton	Uncertain	5
Faria Huq	Lake Erie College	Agree	5
Michael Jones	University of Cincinnati	Disagree	5
Charles Kroncke	Mount Saint Joseph University	Disagree	9
Bill LaFayette	Regionomics	Disagree	7	We should pay more attention to GDP than we do.
Trevon Logan	Ohio State University	Disagree	8
Diane Monaco	Economics Professor	Disagree	8	Ohio’s GDP growth has become noticeably weaker, ranking 45th of all states from the end of 2021 to the bottom quartile of 2023. Also, during this period Ohio was changed its political structure at the gubernatorial and legislative levels due to gerrymandering and an influx of “Outside Ohio Dark Money” that has changed Ohio from a battleground/swing state to an extremist supermajority Autocratic Republican state! Thus, in looking at Ohio industry data the most troubling industries are noticeably Agriculture & Utilities with large GDP decreases. Agriculture is losing farmland while farm operations are being absorbed into larger ones (agribusiness oligopolies) with large GDP decreases. Utilities have been riddled with corruption & scandals (largest in Ohio history) involving corrupt ratepayer bailout funded conspiracies as well as utility executive corruption that has directed company funds into 501 dark money funds with large GDP decreases.
Joe Nowakowski	Muskingum University	Agree	8
Kay Strong	Independent	Agree	9	The value of GDP is equivalent to the value of the state's income.
Kathryn Wilson	Kent State University	Disagree	5
Rachel Wilson	Wittenberg University	Agree	9	GDP was invented in response to the great depression. It is necessary but insufficient. There are other alternatives like the Better Life Index or Genuine Progress Indicator. These other measures put more weight on goods and services that contribute to well-being, such as volunteer work and higher education, and deducts impacts that detract from well-being, such as the loss of leisure time, pollution, and commuting.

Question B: Economic policy would improve if policymakers more frequently relied on non-Gross Domestic Product economic indicators.

Economist	Institution	Opinion	Confidence	Comment
David Brasington	University of Cincinnati	Disagree	6
Ron Cheung	Oberlin College	Disagree	7
Bob Gitter	Ohio Wesleyan University	Disagree	7	I don't think they pay much attention to GDP.
Nancy Haskell	University of Dayton	Disagree	7
Faria Huq	Lake Erie College	Agree	7	Indicators such as health care outcomes, quality of education, income distribution, the environment etc. should be the focus of economic policy in order to improve social welfare. A lot of these indicators would also affect economic growth as investments in human capital.
Michael Jones	University of Cincinnati	Uncertain	5
Charles Kroncke	Mount Saint Joseph University	Disagree	9
Bill LaFayette	Regionomics	Disagree	7	All indicators (GDP, employment, labor force, household income) are important.
Trevon Logan	Ohio State University	Agree	9
Diane Monaco	Economics Professor	Disagree	8	Ohio’s GDP growth has become noticeably weaker, ranking 45th of all states from the end of 2021 to the bottom quartile of 2023. Also, during this period Ohio was changed its political structure at the gubernatorial and legislative levels due to gerrymandering and an influx of “Outside Ohio Dark Money” that has changed Ohio from a battleground/swing state to an extremist supermajority Autocratic Republican state! Thus, in looking at Ohio industry data the most troubling industries are noticeably Agriculture & Utilities with large GDP decreases. Agriculture is losing farmland while farm operations are being absorbed into larger ones (agribusiness oligopolies) with large GDP decreases. Utilities have been riddled with corruption & scandals (largest in Ohio history) involving corrupt ratepayer bailout funded conspiracies as well as utility executive corruption that has directed company funds into 501 dark money funds with large GDP decreases.
Joe Nowakowski	Muskingum University	Agree	6
Kay Strong	Independent	Strongly Disagree	9	Equality would likely improve but not GDP income/output.
Kathryn Wilson	Kent State University	Uncertain	5
Rachel Wilson	Wittenberg University	Strongly Agree	10