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Milton Friedman

Architect of Economic Freedom: A deep dive into the life and ideas of the Nobel laureate who reshaped economic thought and policy.

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Biography

Early Life and Education

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 31, 1912, Milton Friedman was the son of Jewish immigrants from Hungary. His parents, Sarah Ethel and Jenő Saul Friedman, worked diligently as dry goods merchants. Friedman's early life was marked by financial challenges, particularly after his father's death during his senior year of high school. He graduated from Rahway High School in 1928 and attended Rutgers University on a scholarship, graduating in 1932.

Initially considering mathematics or actuarial science, Friedman was drawn to economics by the prevailing economic conditions. He pursued graduate studies at the University of Chicago, earning an MA in 1933, where he was profoundly influenced by economists like Jacob Viner, Frank Knight, and Henry Simons. He later completed his PhD at Columbia University in 1946, studying statistics under Harold Hotelling. During his studies, he met and married fellow economist Rose Director.

Public Service and Early Career

Friedman's early career included roles in government service during the New Deal era, working with agencies like the National Resources Planning Board. He contributed to wartime tax policy, notably helping to develop the payroll withholding tax system. While initially supporting some New Deal initiatives, he later critiqued price and wage controls, foreshadowing his lifelong advocacy for free markets. His work with the National Bureau of Economic Research led to seminal studies on income and consumption.

Friedman's early research, including the controversial hypothesis that professional licensing artificially restricted supply and raised prices, laid the groundwork for his later economic theories. He briefly taught at the University of Wisconsin–Madison but returned to government work before finding his long-term academic home.

Core Economic Ideas

Monetarism

Friedman is most renowned for his work on monetarism, challenging Keynesian economics. He argued that the money supply is the primary determinant of nominal income and inflation in the long run. He advocated for a steady, predictable growth in the money supply, believing it was crucial for economic stability.

His influential book, *A Monetary History of the United States, 1867–1960* (co-authored with Anna Schwartz), posited that the Great Depression was primarily caused by a severe monetary contraction due to Federal Reserve policy failures. He famously stated, "Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon."

Natural Rate of Unemployment

Friedman introduced the concept of the "natural rate of unemployment," suggesting that attempts to push unemployment below this rate through expansionary policies would inevitably lead to accelerating inflation. This challenged the prevailing understanding of the Phillips curve.

His prediction of stagflation (high inflation combined with high unemployment) in the 1970s validated his theoretical framework, demonstrating the long-run verticality of the Phillips curve.

Consumption and Freedom

Friedman's research on consumption analysis introduced theories like "consumption smoothing" and the "permanent income hypothesis." He argued that individuals base their spending decisions on their expected long-term income, not just their current income.

In his seminal work *Capitalism and Freedom*, Friedman championed individual liberty and free markets, advocating for policies such as school vouchers, negative income tax, deregulation, and the abolition of occupational licensing, believing these measures would enhance both economic efficiency and personal freedom.

Academic and Policy Career

University of Chicago

Friedman spent three decades at the University of Chicago (1946-1977), becoming a central figure in the influential Chicago School of Economics. This intellectual environment fostered rigorous debate and produced numerous Nobel laureates, challenging prevailing Keynesian economic thought.

His mentorship guided many future economists, including Gary Becker, Robert Fogel, and Robert Lucas Jr., solidifying Chicago's reputation as a hub for neoclassical and monetarist economic theory.

Advisory Roles

Friedman's influence extended beyond academia. He served as an advisor to prominent political leaders, including U.S. President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. His policy recommendations emphasizing deregulation, privatization, and reduced government spending significantly impacted economic policies globally.

His advocacy for free markets resonated with leaders seeking alternatives to state intervention, contributing to a shift in economic policy paradigms during the late 20th century.

Recognition and Awards

Friedman's contributions were widely recognized. He received the John Bates Clark Medal in 1951, the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1976, the National Medal of Science in 1988, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1988.

These accolades underscore his profound impact on economic theory and public policy, cementing his status as one of the most influential economists of his time.

Seminal Works

Capitalism and Freedom

Published in 1962, *Capitalism and Freedom* outlines Friedman's core philosophy advocating for free markets and limited government intervention. It presents a compelling case for economic freedom as a prerequisite for political freedom.

The book championed controversial ideas at the time, including school vouchers, a volunteer military, and drug liberalization, many of which have since gained significant traction in policy debates.

A Monetary History of the United States

Co-authored with Anna Schwartz and published in 1963, this monumental work is a cornerstone of monetarist theory. It meticulously analyzes the role of money supply in economic fluctuations, particularly the Great Depression.

The book's central thesis—that monetary policy errors were the primary cause of the Depression—profoundly influenced central banking practices and macroeconomic policy worldwide.

Global Influence

Economic Policy Shift

Friedman's ideas played a pivotal role in the shift away from Keynesian dominance towards free-market principles in the latter half of the 20th century. His advocacy for deregulation and privatization influenced economic reforms in numerous countries.

His work provided the intellectual foundation for policies implemented by leaders like Reagan and Thatcher, often referred to as the "Reaganomics" and "Thatcherism" eras, which emphasized supply-side economics and reduced state intervention.

Intellectual Leadership

As a leading figure of the Chicago School, Friedman challenged established economic orthodoxies. His rigorous empirical analysis and clear articulation of free-market principles made complex economic concepts accessible and influential.

Surveys consistently rank him among the most influential economists of the 20th century, with *The Economist* describing him as potentially the most influential economist of the entire century.

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References

References

  1.  https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/hong-kong-two-stage-economic-experiment
  2.  "Capitalism and Friedman" (editorial). The Wall Street Journal. November 17, 2006.
  3.  Milton Friedman EconLib
  4.  Cato, "Letter from Washington," National Review, September 19, 1980, Vol. 32 Issue 19, p. 1119
  5.  Rose and Milton Friedman. stanford.edu
  6.  Carlin, Wendy; Soskice, David W. (2014). Macroeconomics: Institutions, instability, and the financial system. US: Oxford University Press. pp. 20–29.
  7.  Carroll, Christopher D. (1997). "Buffer-Stock Saving and the Life Cycle/Permanent Income Hypothesis". Quarterly Journal of Economics. 112 (1): 1–55
  8.  Beznoska, Martin; Ochmann, Richard (2012). "Liquidity Constraints and the Permanent Income Hypothesis: Pseudo Panel Estimation with German Consumption Survey Data", EconStar.
  9.  Stafford, Frank P. (July 1974). "Permanent income, wealth, and consumption: A critique of the permanent income theory, the life cycle hypothesis, and related theories". Journal of Econometrics, pp. 195–196
  10.  Milton Friedman. phillysoc.org
  11.  Hamilton, Earl J. (1965). American Treasure and the Price Revolution in Spain, 1501–1650. New York: Octagon, pp. 301–302
  12.  David Teira, "Milton Friedman, the Statistical Methodologist," History of Political Economy (2007) 39#3 pp. 511–527
  13.  Chang, Roberto (1997) "Is Low Unemployment Inflationary?" Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. pp. 4–13.
  14.  Friedman, M., & Schwartz, A.J. (1986). Has government any role in money?. Journal of Monetary Economics, 17(1), 37–62.
  15.  Salter, Alexander, William. (2014). An Introduction to Monetary Policy Rules. Mercatus Workıng Paper. George Mason University.
  16.  Marimon, R., & Sunder, S. (December 1995). "Does a constant money growth rule help stabilize inflation?: experimental evidence. In Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy (Vol. 43, pp. 111–156). North-Holland.
  17.  Evans, G.W., & Honkapohja, S. (2003). Friedman's money supply rule vs. optimal interest rate policy". Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 50(5), 550–566.
  18.  Simon London, "Lunch with the FT – Milton Friedman," Financial Times (June 7, 2003) "The use of quantity of money as a target has not been a success ... I'm not sure I would as of today push it as hard as I once did."
  19.  Friedman, Milton & Rose D. Capitalism and Freedom, University of Chicago Press, 1982, p. 29
  20.  Letter from Arnold Harberger to Stig Ramel as reprinted in The Wall Street Journal, October 12, 1976, and in Two Lucky People: Memoirs By Milton Friedman, Rose D. Friedman. Appendix A, pp. 598–599. Accessible at books.google.com
  21.  [Two Lucky People: Memoirs By Milton Friedman, Rose D. Friedman. Appendix A, pp. 591–593. Letter from Friedman to Pinochet, April 21, 1975.]
  22.  Colander, D. (1995). Is Milton Friedman an artist or a scientist?. Journal of Economic Methodology, 2(1), 105–122.
  23.  Ng, Yew-Kwang. (2016). Are unrealistic Assumptions/Simplifications Acceptable? Some Methodological Issues in Economics. Pacific Economic Review, 21(2), 180–201.
  24.  Maki, U., & Mäki, U. (Eds.). (2009). The methodology of positive economics: reflections on the Milton Friedman legacy. Cambridge University Press.
A full list of references for this article are available at the Milton Friedman Wikipedia page

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