Krugman's columns stir fans and foes

By day, famed economist Paul Krugman could pass for any other prestigious professor, humbly lecturing his ECO 102 students on the finer points of price systems. However, as students, faculty and practically anyone who picks up The New York Times is aware, there is more to Krugman.

With his unabashed, unwavering and in-your-face handling of the pen, Krugman lays down his opinion in black-and-white as a biweekly columnist for the Times. His strong remarks, which are often only restrained by the margins that confine them, have evoked both praise and harsh criticism from around the world.

The Washington Monthly has tagged him the most important political columnist in America. Editor & Publisher Magazine named him columnist of the year. The line of admirers continues to grow, including a healthy on-campus following.

"I really enjoy his columns. He is one of the few people that unabashedly opposes the Bush administration," said president of the College Democrats, Owen Conroy '05. "He is a potent voice for liberals and Democrats."

Not everyone, however, is eager to jump on the Krugman bandwagon. His critics are great in number and diverse in occupation — spanning from politicians to game show hosts. In an open letter to Krugman, Ben Stein of "Win Ben Stein's Money" called his remarks "insanely insulting." Students have also found some of his ideas hard to digest.

"I dislike Krugman's columns for their critical analysis of accurate information," said a student who wishes to remain anonymous. "He writes what he wants and justifies it with his point of view and not necessarily all the facts. He pretends to have this aura of professorship where he claims to have all the facts, but he doesn't."

By polarizing students on campus, Krugman's work has sparked debate. Last semester, economics professor Alan Blinder circulated copies of Krugman's columns in his ECO 101 class.

"The articles led to a lot of debate and discussion among people in the class," said Conroy, a student in the class. "Krugman's position is so clear and self confident that many people with opposing views will be angered by his comments."

The controversy surrounding his column stems from his many charges against political icons. While Republicans — particularly those of the Bush administration – are typical targets, no one is safe from scrutiny, including Ralph Nader and the NASA space program.

Krugman's strong opinions are consistently uncompromising. But his ideas are not without research and evidence.

"I see no reason to change the way I feel about the Bush administration," Krugman said. "They still lie a lot, and their policies are deceptive."

Regardless of personal ideologies, most professors across campus admire Krugman's work because of his intellect. "Paul Krugman is one of the most respected economic theorists in his field," fellow economics professor Lars Svensson said.

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Others praised Krugman for defying stereotypes of economists.

"Even though economists are not known as good writers," said economics professor Burton Malkiel, "Krugman is off the charts in term of his ability." While the positions of most economists are muddled, "with Paul you don't have to worry," Malkiel added.

Despite praise, criticism and media attention, Krugman remains unfazed.

"There is no feeling of being a celebrity," he said. He viewed his role on campus as typical of any other professor.

"Many people in Princeton are involved in the nonacademic world," said Krugman. "I'm just laying myself out in front of millions as a columnist."

Krugman, however, does keep his work as an opinion columnist separate from his professorship. "In class I will bend over backwards to give another view," Krugman said.