Community and Government

Learn Economist Paul Krugman’s Perspective on Inequality

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Oct 12, 2022 • 5 min read

“We have this long period, this long, flat stretch of a pretty equal society. That’s the America I grew up in. Then woof, it takes off, starting in the late 70s....more and more of the income gets concentrated in the hands of a few people.” —Paul Krugman

Over the last several decades, a large portion of the economic gains in wealthy countries has gone to a small minority of the population. Many leading economists have studied the structural causes and the ramifications of income inequality. Few are more renowned than Paul Krugman, a professor, author, and New York Times columnist.

Paul Krugman won the 2008 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his groundbreaking work on international trade and economic geography. He is the author or editor of 20 books and more than 200 papers in professional journals and edited volumes. He was chosen as one of Bloomberg’s 10 Most Influential Thinkers in 2013 and has been named one of Bloomberg’s 50 Most Influential People in Global Finance four times, in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015.