“A nice overview of the important lifework of Allan Meltzer, one of the great monetary economists of the twentieth century.”
—Alan Greenspan, chairman of the US Federal Reserve Board, 1987–2006
Allan H. Meltzer (1928–2017), dedicated his life pursuing policy ideas that would protect liberty through economic and personal freedom. Known primarily as one of the leading monetary economists of the twentieth century, he was also a great scholar, a teacher, a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, and an intellect profoundly interested in the role of government in a free society.
In the new book Reflections on Allan H. Meltzer’s Contributions to Monetary Economics and Public Policy, Meltzer is memorialized and celebrated by prominent economists in eleven essays. The authors remember the man and reexamine his legacy, including his many contributions to monetary economics and public policy.
Allan H. Meltzer was a renowned macroeconomist and an innovator of ideas. He helped to create modern central banking and examined how monetary authorities can help the economy succeed—or fail, as it did in the 1930s, the 1970s, and the first decade of the 2000s. Presenting ideas that are still relevant today, he saw that good economic theory is important for the avoidance of economic disasters and that a good political environment matters too.
This edited volume covers the many aspects of Meltzer’s work and career, which including writing the landmark publication A History of the Federal Reserve. He was a valued consultant both in the United States and overseas, championing rules-based monetary policy and free markets. The book concludes with an interview, conducted a few months before his death, in which he shares sharp-witted insights about economics and his legacy.
Contributors: Michael D. Bordo, James Bullard, Joshua R. Hendrickson, Robert L. Hetzel, Peter N. Ireland, Robert E. Lucas Jr., Edward Nelson, Gerald P. O’Driscoll Jr., Charles I. Plosser, George Selgin, and John B. Taylor
David Beckworth, editor, is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and a former international economist at the US Department of the Treasury. A widely published author on monetary policy, he hosts the podcast Macro Musings.
CONTACT: Barbara Arellano: 650.725.5630, barbara.arellano@stanford.edu
