A change in the Federal Reserve's monetary policy is the greatest threat to economic growth for the rest of the year, according to a P&I Online poll conducted last week.
More than 36% of respondents said a change in the policy of quantitative easing, under which the Fed has purchased billions in securities in an effort to keep interest rates low and stimulate the economy, would keep the economy from growing.
The Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee next meets July 30-31.
Nearly a quarter of those responding, 23.1%, said the ongoing federal budget stalemate is the largest threat to economic growth. While the sequester, which cut federal spending in the current fiscal year, was cited by 8.2% of those responding as the greatest threat to the year's economic growth.
Others responding to the poll looked overseas for possible sources of economic gloom.
Slowing growth in China was cited by 19.7% of respondents as the source for an overall slowdown, while 12.9% said the European debt crisis could be the threat.
