Mark Thoma is a professor of economics at the University of Oregon and the author of the Economist’s View blog, which has been praised by New York Times’ Paul Krugman as  a must-read. He joined the University of Oregon faculty in 1987 and served as head of the economics department for five years. His research involves the effects of monetary policy on inflation, output, unemployment, interest rates, and other macroeconomic variables. He has conducted research in other areas, such as the relationship between the political party in power and macroeconomic outcomes. He received a PhD from Washington State University.