Paul Krugman warns: Attacks on Harvard could cripple the US economy
In a strongly worded article published on May 26, Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman warns that the political campaign targeting Harvard and other elite universities is more than an assault on academic freedom — it is a direct threat to the economic backbone of the United States.
Writing in his article titled “The Economic Consequences of Destroying Harvard” on his website, Krugman argues that the conservative push to “destroy” institutions like Harvard — driven, he says, by ideological hostility rather than policy substance — will inflict lasting damage on US innovation, international competitiveness, and long-term prosperity.
While much of the current discourse centres on cultural and ideological critiques — claims of “wokeness,” DEI agendas, or Marxist indoctrination — Krugman contends the true grievance is that universities still encourage independent thought rather than conformity to right-wing dogma.
“Freedom is on the line,” he writes. “But so are jobs.”
Krugman notes that Harvard functions not only as a symbol of academic excellence, but as a central node in the Greater Boston economy — one of America’s most productive and innovation-driven regions. Universities in the area employ some 87,000 people, and their interconnectedness with medical research, biotech firms, AI startups, and global talent pipelines creates a dense and dynamic innovation ecosystem.
Undermining Harvard, even if done in isolation, would be comparable to removing a keystone from a complex structure. “The odds are that the whole structure of the Greater Boston education and innovation ecosystem would collapse,” Krugman warns.
The impact, he adds, would not only be local. Harvard’s reputation draws top-tier students from around the world, contributing significantly to the US economy and its soft power abroad. “One may have mixed feelings about that role,” Krugman concedes, “but the reality is that Harvard is an important pillar in the edifice of American soft power.”
He concludes by questioning whether those leading the political charge against higher education understand the consequences, or whether they even care. “From their point of view,” Krugman suggests, “making America poorer, weaker and sicker is an acceptable price for keeping the nation suitably ignorant.”
