Economics is supposed to be a useful science, a discipline that helps us devise policies that serve the public interest. But are economists still playing that role, or have they become captives of orthodoxy and defenders of the status quo? Two Nobel Prize winners, Angus Deaton and Paul Krugman, join in a candid conversation on the economist’s craft, the current political landscape, and insights from Deaton’s new book. In Economics in America: An Immigrant Economist Explores the Land of Inequality, the British-born U.S. citizen blends personal stories with social commentary in his incisive and witty style. Deaton is the Dwight D. Eisenhower Professor of Economics and International Affairs Emeritus at Princeton University; Krugman is a columnist for The New York Times and distinguished professor of economics at the Graduate Center, CUNY.
This event was recorded live on March 20, 2024. Presented with the Graduate Center.