Samuelsonian Economics and the Twenty-First Century

This volume illuminates and critically assesses Paul A. Samuelson's voluminous and groundbreaking contributions to the field of economics. The volume includes contributions from eminent scholars, including 6 Nobel Laureates, covering the extraordinary depth and breadth of Samuelson's contributions. Samuelson, the first American economist to win the Nobel prize in 1970, was the foremost voice in economics in the latter half of the 20th century. He single-handedly transformed the discipline by creating a new way of presenting economics, making it possible for it to be cast all in mathematical terms. Samuelson developed broad frameworks, such as the neoclassical synthesis, a mixed economy, and the surrogate production function, which provided practitioners with a vision for research. Samuelson's contributions to economics are rich, complex, consequential, and relevant to the ordinary economics of life. The quality of Samuelson's output and methods leave no doubt that his contributions continue to be timely and relevant even in the 21st century. Ideal as a reference or an introduction to Samuelson's work, this is a must-have for students and academics alike. Contributors to this volume - James B. Cooper, Johannes Kepler University, Austria Rod Cross, University of Strathclyde, UK Paul Davidson, University of Tennessee Peter Diamond, MIT Avinash Dixit, Princeton University Franklin Fisher, MIT Milton Friedman, Stanford University Geoff Harcourt, Cambridge University Lawrence R. Klein, University of Pennsylvania Laurence J. Kotlikoff, Boston University Rachel McCulloh, Brandeis University Harry M. Marowitz, University of California, San Diego Robert C. Merton, Harvard University Paul Milgrom, Stanford University William D. Nordhaus, Yale University Luigi Pasinetti, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano Robert A. Pollak, Washington University Lall Ramrattan, University of California, Berkeley Kenneth Rogoff, Harvard University Thomas Russell, Santa Clara University Robert M. Solow, MIT Joseph E. Stiglitz, Columbia University Michael Szenberg, Pace University Hal R. Varian, University of California, Berkeley