Martin Feldstein
Martin Feldstein is widely recognized as one of the leading economists of his generation. A Harvard professor and widely-published author, the now-retired professor of economics served as an economic advisor to two U.S. presidents, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Board, the National Science Foundation, and both the Congressional Budget Office and the Council of Economic Advisers.
Born in New York City in 1939, Feldstein received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard University. He joined the faculty of Harvard University after finishing his Ph.D. in economics in 1966. During his tenure at Harvard, his influence on economic theory and policy was felt throughout the academic, government and business communities.
Feldstein served as director of the National Bureau of Economic Research from 1984-2008 and was an influential member of the Reagan Presidential Economic Advisory Board. During Reagans first term in office, he played a major role in the design of the 1981 tax cut and the 1984 Social Security reform. Under the Bush Administration, Dr. Feldstein was instrumental in the negotiations surrounding the 2003 tax cuts and changes to Social Security.
Throughout his time in academia, Feldstein wrote and edited numerous books, essays, and journal articles that analyzed public policy questions. He was also the editor of two of the most prestigious economic journals in the world, The Journal of Economic Perspectives and Economic Policy.
In 2006, Dr. Feldstein received the John Bates Clark Medal, the most prestigious award given to American Economists under the age of 40. He was also the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, granted by President George W. Bush in 2004. In 2008, he was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences.
Upon his retirement from Harvard in 2012, Feldstein concluded a distinguished career that not only drastically changed the way academics view policy questions, but also shaped the fundamentals of modern economic theory. Today, Martin Feldsteins name is synonymous with a particular style of economic thought, and most economic policy makers are still influenced by his theories.
