Jeffrey Miron
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Alan Miron is an American economist
. He served as the chairman of the Department of Economics at Boston University
from 1992 to 1998, and currently teaches at Harvard University
, serving as a Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Harvard's Economics Department.
Miron is an outspoken consequentialist libertarian
. He was one of the 166 economists to sign a letter to congressional leaders in opposition to the bailout plan put forth by the U.S. federal government in response to the global financial crisis of September–October 2008. He advocated that those companies that floundered during the crisis should be bankrupt instead of receiving government help. He has proposed three policy reforms to help the US economy recover from the financial crisis: cutting entitlements, freezing regulation, and replacing the existing tax code with a flat tax
on consumption. Miron has also spoken out against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
, arguing that it is economically unfeasible and will increase the US deficit; instead, he suggests limiting government intervention is the best way to lower overall health care costs and make health care accessible to the most amount of people. He has studied the effects of drug criminalization for fifteen years, and argues that all drugs should be legalized.
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
. He served as the chairman of the Department of Economics at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
from 1992 to 1998, and currently teaches at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, serving as a Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Harvard's Economics Department.
Miron is an outspoken consequentialist libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
. He was one of the 166 economists to sign a letter to congressional leaders in opposition to the bailout plan put forth by the U.S. federal government in response to the global financial crisis of September–October 2008. He advocated that those companies that floundered during the crisis should be bankrupt instead of receiving government help. He has proposed three policy reforms to help the US economy recover from the financial crisis: cutting entitlements, freezing regulation, and replacing the existing tax code with a flat tax
Flat tax
A flat tax is a tax system with a constant marginal tax rate. Typically the term flat tax is applied in the context of an individual or corporate income that will be taxed at one marginal rate...
on consumption. Miron has also spoken out against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
, arguing that it is economically unfeasible and will increase the US deficit; instead, he suggests limiting government intervention is the best way to lower overall health care costs and make health care accessible to the most amount of people. He has studied the effects of drug criminalization for fifteen years, and argues that all drugs should be legalized.
External links
- Jeffrey Miron's blog
- Jeffrey Miron at Harvard University Department of Economics
- Jeffrey Miron on Real Law Radio Prof. Miron spoke with Bob DiCello on the legal news talk radio program, Real Law Radio, about the benefits of legalizing marijuana from an economic perspective (Podcasts/Saturday March 27, 2010).