Maps - 8

One way to identify the superstars of the Economics profession is to do a Web search on 'Nobel Prize in Economics.' This will give a good set of the giants of the profession. Less well known but also important is the John Bates Clark medal awarded every other year to the best American economist under 40. The recent Clark medal winners are having a profound affect on the current directions that economic research is taking. Many professional economists spend a good deal of their time writing for other economists. You can find their published work in such journals as the American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy, and Quarterly Journal of Economics. A smaller number of economists also write for general audiences, where the intention in the writing is to be literate but not require formal economics training in the reader. There are an increasing number of blogs by professional economists.

Below we briefly describe a few of these economists and give some links to their work.

Let's begin with Paul Krugman. He is an extremely prolific writer. His renown originally came from work on International Economics, in particular on strategic trade policy. He is a former Clark Medal winner and a good bet to the win the Nobel prize in the not too distant future. He has a column that appears twice weekly on the op-ed page in the New York Times, where he writes on political as well as economic matters.
Unofficial Krugman Homepage
New York Times Krugman Page (free but you must register).

Next, let's consider Steven Landsburg. He is fun to read, not the least because he is so frequently outrageous in his claims. You may not always agree with him, but he will challenge you in your own thinking. He analyzes ordinary human behavior by taking an economics slant and comes up with provocative analysis and commentary.
Landsburg Homepage
Fairness and Employment

Finally, let’s consider Gregory Mankiw. His Principles text is one of the market leaders. His blog can be considered an adjoint of his text.
Mankiw Blog

I would appreciate getting any comments on the tone, style, or substance of this essay.