The class doesn't have a book, just a set of papers

Schools like Harvard don’t teach from a book.

Wrong side of the Atlantic. I didn’t have to buy a single textbook my entire undergrad because we had libraries and lecture notes. Required textbooks are far more a US thing than most other countries.

Harvard absolutely has courses taught from a book. I’m sure Mankiw requires his textbook for Harvard’s intro econ course. He wrote it, he thinks it’s good.

And he's made $42 million in royalties on the book. It's almost endearing how economists claim they are somehow immune to incentives, until you pause to consider they are primarily employed as apologists for the continuation of rent-seeking policies that entrench the rich and mighty.

> apologists for the continuation of rent-seeking policies that entrench the rich and mighty.

This.

"THE IMF CONFIRMS THAT 'TRICKLE-DOWN' ECONOMICS IS, INDEED, A JOKE" https://psmag.com/economics/trickle-down-economics-is-indeed...

> INCREASING THE INCOME SHARE TO THE BOTTOM 20 PERCENT OF CITIZENS BY A MERE ONE PERCENT RESULTS IN A 0.38 PERCENTAGE POINT JUMP IN GDP GROWTH.

> The IMF report, authored by five economists, presents a scathing rejection of the trickle-down approach, arguing that the monetary philosophy has been used as a justification for growing income inequality over the past several decades. "Income distribution matters for growth," they write. "Specifically, if the income share of the top 20 percent increases, then GDP growth actually declined over the medium term, suggesting that the benefits do not trickle down."

"Causes and Consequences of Income Inequality: A Global Perspective" (2015) https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C43&q=%22...

I'll add that we tend to overlook the level of government spending during periods trickle-down economics and confound. Change in government spending (somewhat unfortunately regardless of revenues) is a relevant factor.

Let's make this economy great again? How about you identify the decade(s) you're referring to and I'll show you the tax revenue (on income and now capital gains), federal debt per capital, and the growth in GDP.

He's actually had protests at his lectures. I don't know any other lecturers who have achieved that dubious honor.

I mean buying his book is an economics lesson in itself.

There is a difference between requiring a book and “teaching from” a book.