# greatest academic economist 20th century

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-academic-economist-20th-century/718553>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 26, 2015, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-academic-economist-20th-century/718553 "2015-04-26T02:40:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![thanatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@thanatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thanatic)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-academic-economist-20th-century/718553/1 "2015-04-26T02:40:47Z")

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talking in purely academic terms? in your opinion

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**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-academic-economist-20th-century/718553/2 "2015-04-26T12:01:17Z")

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Maynard Keynes.

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**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-academic-economist-20th-century/718553/3 "2015-04-26T12:23:26Z")

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Paul Krugman.

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**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-academic-economist-20th-century/718553/4 "2015-04-26T13:54:33Z")

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I would say Ludwig von Mises–he influenced Friedrich Hayek, who in turned influenced Milton Friedman.

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**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-academic-economist-20th-century/718553/5 "2015-04-26T13:56:18Z")

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> [@Cicero](#):
>
> Maynard Keynes.

And THIS is an example of how powerful propaganda can be.

Somebody who was so incredibly stupid as to claim that it’s possible to spend your way out of debt is hailed as a great economist.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-academic-economist-20th-century/718553/6 "2015-04-26T14:10:59Z")

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> [@Flyer](#):
>
> And THIS is an example of how powerful propaganda can be.
> 
> Somebody who was so incredibly stupid as to claim that it’s possible to spend your way out of debt is hailed as a great economist.

That would be the same guy who wrote, “As regards internal debt, I am one of those who believe that a capital levy for the extinction of debt is an absolute prerequisite of sound finance in every one of the European belligerent countries.”, right?