korrents

What Paul Krugman thinks about America

@paul-krugman · 14 positions · 0 changes of mind

Trade economist, Nobel laureate in 2008 for his work on economic geography, professor emeritus at Princeton and the CUNY Graduate Center, and a New York Times columnist from 1999 to 2024. Now writes on Substack.

Everything they publish, on ppll ↗

Paul Krugman did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

7 dated positions, 2025 to 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Paul Krugman has said — not written or endorsed by them.

  1. Our readingA country's large trade deficit in manufactured goods reduces its manufacturing employment below what it would be with balanced trade.

    Their wordsAmerica’s large trade deficit in manufactured goods does mean that we have fewer manufacturing jobs than we would if that trade were balanced.

    ↗Neo-Nazis and the Impotence of Trumponomicspaulkrugman.substack.com

    tariffs

    Interesting
  2. 4 months earlier

  3. Our readingEurope is not in economic decline; by the measures that matter most it is keeping up with the United States.

    Their wordsMoreover, by many measures — arguably the most important measures — Europe is, in fact, keeping up with the United States.

    ↗Is Europe in Economic Decline?paulkrugman.substack.com 1st of 2 in this piece

    Europe

    Interesting

  5. Our readingEurope is an economic superpower, and at present it is the only democratic one.

    Their wordsEurope, along with China and the United States, is an economic superpower. And, at this point in time, it is arguably the world’s only democratic superpower.

    ↗Is Europe in Economic Decline?paulkrugman.substack.com 2nd of 2 in this piece

    EuropeChina

    Interesting
  6. 2 months earlier

  7. Our readingThe 2025 American tariffs did not reduce the trade deficit they were imposed to reduce.

    Their wordsIn fact, the U.S. trade deficit for all of 2025 was about the same as it was in 2024.

    ↗Attack of the Zombie Tariffspaulkrugman.substack.com 1st of 4 in this piece

    tariffs

    Interesting

  9. Our readingThe tariffs did not revive American manufacturing; employment in it fell after they were imposed.

    Their wordsTrump also claimed that his tariffs would revive American manufacturing. In fact, manufacturing employment has declined since Liberation Day.

    ↗Attack of the Zombie Tariffspaulkrugman.substack.com 2nd of 4 in this piece

    tariffs

    Interesting

  11. Our readingTariff revenue is real but far too small to make a dent in the American deficit.

    Their wordsRevenue from the Trump tariffs, even pre-Court, wasn’t enough to make a large dent in the deficit.

    ↗Attack of the Zombie Tariffspaulkrugman.substack.com 3rd of 4 in this piece

    tariffs

    Interesting
  12. 4 months earlier

  13. Our readingThe hard-headed realists who wrote America's 2001 energy policy expected renewables to stay trivial, and were wrong by an enormous margin.

    Their wordsBut politics aside, what’s notable about that 2001 report, put together by men who regarded themselves as hard-headed realists, is that it envisaged an energy future reliant almost entirely on fossil fuels plus a bit of nuclear energy.

    ↗The Rise of Renewable Energypaulkrugman.substack.com 1st of 2 in this piece

    energypoliticsnuclear power

    Interesting