He writes,

This blog is an experiment, primarily aimed at interacting with students in Ec 10, the large introductory economics class that I teach at Harvard. Other students and teachers using my textbooks may find it of interest as well. Its main role will be to direct students to interesting articles with the goal of enhancing their study of economics. I had previously been doing this for my students via email, but I thought that a blog would be more convenient for them, and it would allow others to access it as well.

In a recent post, Mankiw writes,

As an economist, I am skeptical of the government prohibiting trades between consenting adults, and that is in essence what immigration restrictions do. This is why economists, as a group, tend to be pro-immigration.

I think a while back I said something to the effect of economists being pro-immigration, and at least one commenter questioned why (I think the commenter was wondering why economists would express an opinion, rather than just remain neutral). In any case, I have some support from an icon within the profession.

In the early days (for me) of the Internet, I remember Christopher Locke saying, possibly quoting Hunter Thompson, that “when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” Now, with the author of a leading economics text embracing blogging, we have the pros turning weird, so to speak.

In all seriousness, it’s a great blog, and I hope he keeps it up.