About two-thirds of economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics believe the Federal Reserve will hike its benchmark interest rate by a quarter or half percentage point within the next six months.
The NABE survey revealed that two-thirds of some 203 respondents view the current posture of monetary policy as appropriate. On the other hand, some 30% see the current policy as "too stimulative".
Most respondents also warn that the removal or reduction of the Fed's regulatory power would make its conduct of monetary policy less effective.
Nine in 10 economists think the Fed's independence is important, while at the same time, almost half the respondents believe that inadequate regulatory oversight was the primary contributor to the financial crisis.
Some 44% of participants believe the current stance of fiscal policy is "about right", an increase from the 35% who held that view in August 2009 and the highest percentage since 2007. A majority of respondents do not believe another fiscal stimulus package is warranted at this time.
Respondents also expressed concern over the state of the U.S. budget deficit, with 80% of panelists warning that the long-term imbalance of the budget would harm the nation's ability to borrow.
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