James M. Buchanan

1919–2013

Nationality: American

Historical Period: The 20th Century and Beyond

In 1986, James M. Buchanan (1919-2013) was awarded the Alfred Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. Universally respected as one of the founders of the “public choice” school of economics, he authored numerous books and hundreds of articles in the areas of public finance, public choice, constitutional economics and economic philosophy. He is best known for such works as The Calculus of Consent, The Limits of Liberty, The Power to Tax, and The Reason of Rules. Buchanan devoted himself to the study of the contractural and constitutional basis for the theory of economic and political decision making.

See the Liberty Matters online discussion of James Buchanan: An Assessment

Read the Liberty Classic Lessons and Challenges in The Limits of Liberty and What Should Economists Do? An Appreciation from Econlib

See also at our sister website Econlib:

• the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics entry on Buchanan

Watch the OLL Videos The Intellectual Portrait Series: A Conversation with James M. Buchanan (Part 1) and The Intellectual Portrait Series: A Conversation with James M. Buchanan (Part 2)

Quotes from James M. Buchanan:

• James M. Buchanan on chaining Leviathan
• James M. Buchanan on “process” and the market order

Titles from James M. Buchanan:

• Author: The Collected Works of James M. Buchanan in 20 vols.
• Author: The Collected Works of James M. Buchanan. Vol. 2 Public Principles of Public Debt
• Author: The Calculus of Consent: Logical Foundations of Constitutional Democracy
• Author: The Collected Works of James M. Buchanan, Vol. 4. Public Finance in Democratic Process
• Author: The Collected Works of James M. Buchanan, Vol. 5. The Demand and Supply of Public Goods
• Author: Cost and Choice: An Inquiry in Economic Theory, Vol. 6 of the Collected Works
• Author: The Collected Works of James M. Buchanan, vol. 7 (The Limits of Liberty)
• Author: Democracy in Deficit: The Political Legacy of Lord Keynes
• Author: The Collected Works of James M. Buchanan, Vol. 9 (The Power to Tax)
• Author: The Collected Works of James M. Buchanan, Vol. 10 (The Reason of Rules)
• Author: The Intellectual Portrait Series: A Conversation with James M. Buchanan (Part 1)
• Author: The Intellectual Portrait Series: A Conversation with James M. Buchanan (Part 2)
• Editor: L.S.E. Essays on Cost
• Author: The Legacy of Friedrich von Hayek, 7 vols.
• Author: The Legacy of Friedrich von Hayek, vol. 7 Morality and Community