Robert Patrick Murphy (born May 23, 1976) is an American economist. Murphy is Research Assistant Professor with the Free Market Institute at
Texas Tech University. He has been affiliated with
Laffer Associates, the
Pacific Research Institute, the
Institute for Energy Research (IER), the
Independent Institute, the
Ludwig von Mises Institute, and the
Fraser Institute.
Education
Murphy received a BA in economics at
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College is a Private university, private Conservatism in the United States, conservative Christian liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan. It was founded in 1844 by Abolitionism, abolitionists known as Free Will Baptists.
Its missio ...
in 1998 and a Ph.D. in economics at
New York University in 2003.
Career
Murphy is Research Assistant Professor with the Free Market Institute at Texas Tech University. He has been a visiting Assistant Professor at Hillsdale College, and a visiting scholar at New York University. He has been affiliated with Laffer Associates, the Pacific Research Institute, the
Institute for Energy Research (IER) as the senior economist focusing on climate change,
[Robert P. Murphy profile](_blank)
, Institute for Energy Research, ''accessed December 9, 2013'', the
Independent Institute,
[Robert P. Murphy profile](_blank)
, Independent Institute, ''accessed December 5, 2013.'' the
Ludwig von Mises Institute,
[Robert P. Murphy profile](_blank)
at Ludwig von Mises Institute, ''accessed December 5, 2013.'' and the
Fraser Institute in Canada.
He is the president of Consulting By RPM. In September 2021 Murphy was ranked as the 11th most influential person in economics by Academic Influence which uses "artificial intelligence to measure impact by academics and institutions."
Murphy has written books such as ''Choice: Cooperation, Enterprise, and Human Action'' (Independent Institute, 2015),
''Primal Prescription'' with Doug McGuff, MD regarding healthcare in the United States, and ''Lessons for the Young Economist'' (Mises Institute 2010). He has written study guides to works of
Ludwig von Mises and
Murray Rothbard.
Murphy authored the 2007 book ''
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism
''The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism'' is a 2007 book by Austrian school economist Robert P. Murphy. It is the ninth book in the Regnery Publishing '' The Politically Incorrect Guides'' (P.I.G.) series.
Written as a result of a poll by ...
''. Murphy's book, ''The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Great Depression and the New Deal'', published in 2009, blamed the Depression on government policies.
Additionally, Murphy has written for ''
The Washington Times'', ''
Forbes'' and ''
Barron's Magazine''. Murphy's writings have also been published in ''
The American Journal of Economics and Sociology
''The American Journal of Economics and Sociology'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal established in 1941 by Will Lissner with support from the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation. The purpose of the journal was to create a forum for continuing disc ...
'', ''
The Review of Austrian Economics'',
the ''
Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics'' and the ''
Journal of Private Enterprise
The ''Journal of Private Enterprise'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal of economics published by the Association of Private Enterprise Education. It was established in 1985 and appears twice a year. Edward Stringham (Fayetteville State Universit ...
''. He has written for ''
The Freeman
''The Freeman'' (formerly published as ''The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty'' or ''Ideas on Liberty'') was an American libertarian magazine, formerly published by the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). It was founded in 1950 by John Chamberlai ...
'', ''
The American Conservative,''
LewRockwell.com Townhall.com and
Antiwar.com.
Murphy was ranked as the 14th most influential economist since 1990 by ''Academic Influence''.
Erroneous inflation predictions
Murphy has been criticized by economists
Brad DeLong and
Paul Krugman for predicting that the
quantitative easing practiced by the
Federal Reserve in the late 2000s would create double-digit inflation and economic ruin by 2013, and notes that he lost the bet.
[Robert P. Murphy]
"Killing the Currency"
, The American Conservative, December 10, 2009.
In 2013 Murphy challenged Krugman to a debate and unnamed supporters of Murphy promised to donate $100,000 to a charity if Krugman would debate Murphy on economic policy issues. A promotional website was established for the challenge. In response to a radio show caller, Krugman rejected the proposed debate, saying that the subject “is not something to be settled by public circuses" and added, "Why should I dignify that totally-wrong doctrine — that doctrine that's gotten everything wrong — by giving them a platform?", pointing to the erroneous inflation predictions.
Religious views
Murphy is a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, and has stated in his writings that "my ethical beliefs are informed by my Christian faith, and I am a firm believer in
natural law".
Books
*
Chaos Theory' (2002) – Two essays on
anarchocapitalism; one discussing the production of defense services, and the other describing the provision of private criminal and civil justice.
* ''
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism
''The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism'' is a 2007 book by Austrian school economist Robert P. Murphy. It is the ninth book in the Regnery Publishing '' The Politically Incorrect Guides'' (P.I.G.) series.
Written as a result of a poll by ...
'' (2007) – A volume in ''
The Politically Incorrect Guide
Regnery Publishing is a politically conservative book publisher based in Washington, D.C. The company was founded by Henry Regnery in 1947, and is now a division of radio broadcaster Salem Media Group. It is led by President & Publisher Thomas ...
'' series published by
Regnery Publishing.
* ''The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Great Depression and the New Deal'' (2009).
* ''How Privatized Banking Really Works – Integrating Austrian Economics with the Infinite Banking Concept'' (2010) co-written with L. Carlos Lara.
* ''Lessons for the Young Economist'' (2010) – available a
Mises.org Libraryan
Mises.org wiki
Economic Principles for Prosperity(2014). Fraser Institute. Co-authored with Jason Clemens, Milagros Palacios, and Niels Velduis.
The Primal Prescription(2015) – Co-authored with Dough McGuff, MD. The authors utilize their expertise in economics and medicine to examine America's health care system.
Choice: Cooperation, Enterprise, and Human Action(July 1, 2015 – A concise retelling of the magnum opus of Ludwig Von Mises, ''Human Action''.
*
Notes
References
External links
Robert P. Murphy websiteRobert P. Murphy at Contra Krugman (podcast)* Robert P. Murphy at
Institute for Energy ResearchProfile* Robert P. Murphy at
Mises.org
Ludwig von Mises Institute for Austrian Economics, or Mises Institute, is a libertarian nonprofit think tank headquartered in Auburn, Alabama, United States. It is named after the Austrian School economist Ludwig von Mises (1881–1973).
It wa ...
Literature archivesDaily Article archivesFaculty Spotlight Interview: Robert Murphy*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Robert P.
1976 births
Living people
21st-century American economists
21st-century American historians
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century Christians
American anarcho-capitalists
American Christians
American columnists
American consultants
American economics writers
American libertarians
American male non-fiction writers
American political writers
Austrian School economists
Christian anarchists
Christian libertarians
Critics of neoconservatism
Economists from New York (state)
Hillsdale College alumni
Hillsdale College faculty
Historians from New York (state)
Libertarian economists
Libertarian historians
Libertarian theorists
Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Mises Institute people
New York University alumni
Non-interventionism
Scientists from New York City
Writers from New York City