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Daniel B. Klein

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This article is about an economist. For other uses, see Daniel Klein.
Daniel B. Klein
Born (1962-01-16) January 16, 1962 (age 62)
NationalityAmerican
Academic career
InstitutionGeorge Mason University
Alma materNew York University

Daniel Bruce Klein (born January 16, 1962) is an American professor of economics at George Mason University and an Associate Fellow of the Swedish Ratio Institute.[1] Much of his research examines the works of Adam Smith, public policy questions, libertarian political philosophy, and the sociology of academia. He is the chief editor of Econ Journal Watch and director of the Adam Smith Program at George Mason University's Department of Economics.[2]

Klein received his doctorate in economics from New York University in 1990. He was a visiting scholar at the City University in Stockholm and the Department of Economics, Stanford University.[3]

Debates

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In an article appearing in the August 2004 Econ Journal Watch he criticized libertarian paternalism, espoused by Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler, as oxymoronic.[4] He argued against what he perceived as an overly loose and weak definition of libertarianism on the grounds that Thaler and Sunstein made no meaningful distinction between liberty and coercion. In failing to define the concepts of liberty and coercion as fundamentally dissimilar processes.[vague] Libertarian paternalism uses a hyperrational behavior model of human nature as a definition for libertarianism, and neglects alternative definitions such as those advanced by Adam Smith and F.A. Hayek.

Klein has also been involved in a longstanding debate over the appropriate use of the terms “coordination” and “discovery” with emeritus professor of economics at New York University Israel Kirzner. Klein maintains that Kirzner’s reliance and identification with “the Misesian image of science” threatens to discredit his more sensible contributions.[5]

Early life

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Klein was born on January 16, 1962 to a non-religious Jewish family in Bergen County, New Jersey. His father was a pediatrician and his now late mother left the house after her divorce and became an entrepreneur when Klein was 10. In 8th grade, he started to develop Libertarian and Classical Liberal views, due to his friend's criticism of the public school system.[6]

Selected publications

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Daniel Klein". 27 May 2020.
  2. ^ "People - Adam Smith Program". adamsmithprogram.org. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  3. ^ "FDAReview.org". Archived from the original on 2015-11-30. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  4. ^ Daniel B. Klein (1 August 2004). "Statist Quo Bias". Econ Journal Watch. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Competition as a Discovery Procedure: A Rejoinder to Professor Kirzner on Coordination and Discovery". Journal of Private Enterprise. 2011-01-01. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  6. ^ https://econfaculty.gmu.edu/klein/PdfPapers/From%20a%20Raft.pdf
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