J. Bradford DeLong
Encyclopedia
James Bradford DeLong commonly known as Brad DeLong, is a professor of Economics
and chair of the Political Economy
major at the University of California, Berkeley
. He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury
in the Clinton Administration under Lawrence Summers
. He is also a research associate
of the National Bureau of Economic Research
, and is a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
.
Along with Joseph Stiglitz and Aaron Edlin
, DeLong is co-editor of The Economists' Voice, and has been co-editor of the widely read Journal of Economic Perspectives
. He is also the author of a textbook, Macroeconomics, the second edition of which he coauthored with Martha Olney
. He writes a monthly syndicated op-ed column for Project Syndicate.
As an official in the Treasury Department in the Clinton
administration, he worked on the 1993 budget, on the Uruguay Round
of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
, on the North American Free Trade Agreement
, on the unsuccessful health care reform effort
, and on other policies.
DeLong is a prolific blogger. His main blog is Grasping Reality with Both Hands, which covers political, technical, and economic issues as well as criticism of their coverage in the media.
DeLong is both a liberal in the modern American political sense and a free trade
neo-liberal. He has cited Adam Smith
, John Maynard Keynes
, Lawrence Summers
, Andrei Shleifer
, and Milton Friedman
as the economists who have had the greatest influence on his views. In fact, his dozen most important papers have been co-authored with Summers, and several of the best papers of Summers are those co-authored with DeLong.
DeLong lives in suburban Lafayette, California
, and is married to Ann Marie Marciarille, AARP Health and Aging Policy Research Fellow at Pacific McGeorge
's Capital Center for Government Law and Policy. He received his A.B.
and Ph.D.
from Harvard University
, receiving the latter in 1987. Before moving to Berkeley, he taught at Harvard, Boston University
, and MIT.
, then the assistant managing editor of CJR Daily, describing him as a member of a "circular firing squad of flying journalistic attack monkeys."
On March 5, 2008, DeLong endorsed Barack Obama
over Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary
.
DeLong is also a harsh critic of his Berkeley colleague, John Yoo
, a law professor who worked in the Office of Legal Counsel
under President George W. Bush
. Yoo is perhaps most famous for authoring the torture memos
authorizing the Bush administration to use torture during the war on terror, and crafting the unitary executive theory, which dictates that, due to his powers and responsibilities as commander-in-chief, only the President has the ability to craft and interpret foreign policy and security strategy. DeLong wrote a letter to the Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau
calling for Yoo's dismissal dated February 17, 2009.
De Long maintains a political commentary site called Brad DeLong's Egregious Moderation. In addition, DeLong writes for Shrillblog, which collects stories and articles about critics of what the authors perceive as fundamental dishonesty on the part of advocates of "conservative" policies in the Republican Party
and the Bush administration. According to DeLong's personal report, the blog originated in a conversation among DeLong, Tyler Cowen
, and Andrew Northrup regarding the use of the term "shrill" as a criticism of New York Times
columnist and fellow academic economist Paul Krugman
.
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and chair of the Political Economy
Political economy
Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
major at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
in the Clinton Administration under Lawrence Summers
Lawrence Summers
Lawrence Henry Summers is an American economist. He served as the 71st United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He was Director of the White House United States National Economic Council for President Barack Obama until November 2010.Summers is the...
. He is also a research associate
Research associate
The title of research associate is used to denote an academic research position at a university or similar institution. A research associate usually conducts research under the supervision of a principal investigator. In contrast to a research assistant or research officer, a research associate...
of the National Bureau of Economic Research
National Bureau of Economic Research
The National Bureau of Economic Research is an American private nonprofit research organization "committed to undertaking and disseminating unbiased economic research among public policymakers, business professionals, and the academic community." The NBER is well known for providing start and end...
, and is a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco is the federal bank for the twelfth district in the United States. The twelfth district is made up of nine western states-—Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington--plus the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa,...
.
Along with Joseph Stiglitz and Aaron Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Professor and author Aaron S. Edlin is a noted expert in law and economics, specializing in antitrust. In 1997–1998, he served in the Clinton White House as Senior Economist within the Council of Economic Advisers focusing on the areas of industrial organization, regulation and antitrust...
, DeLong is co-editor of The Economists' Voice, and has been co-editor of the widely read Journal of Economic Perspectives
Journal of Economic Perspectives
The Journal of Economic Perspectives is an economic journal published by the American Economic Association. The journal is very broad in its scope...
. He is also the author of a textbook, Macroeconomics, the second edition of which he coauthored with Martha Olney
Martha Olney
Martha Olney is a permanent Adjunct Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a winner of local and national teaching awards, and has authored several leading undergraduate economics textbooks.-Academic Life:...
. He writes a monthly syndicated op-ed column for Project Syndicate.
As an official in the Treasury Department in the Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
administration, he worked on the 1993 budget, on the Uruguay Round
Uruguay Round
The Uruguay Round was the 8th round of Multilateral trade negotiations conducted within the framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , spanning from 1986-1994 and embracing 123 countries as “contracting parties”. The Round transformed the GATT into the World Trade Organization...
of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was negotiated during the UN Conference on Trade and Employment and was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization . GATT was signed in 1947 and lasted until 1993, when it was replaced by the World...
, on the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
, on the unsuccessful health care reform effort
Clinton health care plan
The Clinton health care plan was a 1993 healthcare reform package proposed by the administration of President Bill Clinton and closely associated with the chair of the task force devising the plan, First Lady of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton....
, and on other policies.
DeLong is a prolific blogger. His main blog is Grasping Reality with Both Hands, which covers political, technical, and economic issues as well as criticism of their coverage in the media.
DeLong is both a liberal in the modern American political sense and a free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
neo-liberal. He has cited Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...
, John Maynard Keynes
John Maynard Keynes
John Maynard Keynes, Baron Keynes of Tilton, CB FBA , was a British economist whose ideas have profoundly affected the theory and practice of modern macroeconomics, as well as the economic policies of governments...
, Lawrence Summers
Lawrence Summers
Lawrence Henry Summers is an American economist. He served as the 71st United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He was Director of the White House United States National Economic Council for President Barack Obama until November 2010.Summers is the...
, Andrei Shleifer
Andrei Shleifer
Andrei Shleifer is a Russian American economist. From its inauguration in 1992 until it was shut down in 1997, Shleifer served as project director of the Harvard Institute for International Developments Russian aid project...
, and Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman was an American economist, statistician, academic, and author who taught at the University of Chicago for more than three decades...
as the economists who have had the greatest influence on his views. In fact, his dozen most important papers have been co-authored with Summers, and several of the best papers of Summers are those co-authored with DeLong.
DeLong lives in suburban Lafayette, California
Lafayette, California
Lafayette is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 23,893. It was named after the Marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero of the American Revolutionary War...
, and is married to Ann Marie Marciarille, AARP Health and Aging Policy Research Fellow at Pacific McGeorge
McGeorge School of Law
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law is a private, ABA approved law school in the Oak Park neighborhood of the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the University of the Pacific....
's Capital Center for Government Law and Policy. He received his A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from 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...
, receiving the latter in 1987. Before moving to Berkeley, he taught at Harvard, 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...
, and MIT.
Political views
In September 2006, DeLong criticized Mark MitchellMark Mitchell (reporter)
Mark Mitchell was once the assistant managing editor of CJR Daily, a web outlet of the Columbia Journalism Review.His tenure there was in some respects controversial. For example, in this forum he backed up assistant editor Bree Nordenson in the claim that Paul Krugman was suppressing the fact that...
, then the assistant managing editor of CJR Daily, describing him as a member of a "circular firing squad of flying journalistic attack monkeys."
On March 5, 2008, DeLong endorsed Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
over Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary
Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008
The 2008 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
.
DeLong is also a harsh critic of his Berkeley colleague, John Yoo
John Yoo
John Choon Yoo is an American attorney, law professor, and author. As a former official in the United States Department of Justice during the George W...
, a law professor who worked in the Office of Legal Counsel
Office of Legal Counsel
The Office of Legal Counsel is an office in the United States Department of Justice that assists the Attorney General in his function as legal adviser to the President and all executive branch agencies.-History:...
under President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Yoo is perhaps most famous for authoring the torture memos
Torture Memos
The Torture Memos, sometimes called the Bybee Memo or 8/1/02 Interrogation Opinion, were a set of legal memoranda drafted by Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the United States John Yoo and signed by Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee...
authorizing the Bush administration to use torture during the war on terror, and crafting the unitary executive theory, which dictates that, due to his powers and responsibilities as commander-in-chief, only the President has the ability to craft and interpret foreign policy and security strategy. DeLong wrote a letter to the Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau
Robert Birgeneau
Robert Joseph Birgeneau is a Canadian physicist, educator, and university administrator. He is the ninth chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, and was the fourteenth president of the University of Toronto from 2000 to 2004.-Biography:The first from his family to finish high school,...
calling for Yoo's dismissal dated February 17, 2009.
De Long maintains a political commentary site called Brad DeLong's Egregious Moderation. In addition, DeLong writes for Shrillblog, which collects stories and articles about critics of what the authors perceive as fundamental dishonesty on the part of advocates of "conservative" policies in the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and the Bush administration. According to DeLong's personal report, the blog originated in a conversation among DeLong, Tyler Cowen
Tyler Cowen
Tyler Cowen is an American economist, academic, and writer. He occupies the Holbert C. Harris Chair of economics as a professor at George Mason University and is co-author, with Alex Tabarrok, of the popular economics blog Marginal Revolution...
, and Andrew Northrup regarding the use of the term "shrill" as a criticism of New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
columnist and fellow academic economist Paul Krugman
Paul Krugman
Paul Robin Krugman is an American economist, professor of Economics and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, Centenary Professor at the London School of Economics, and an op-ed columnist for The New York Times...
.
Publications
Major publications listed on Brad DeLong's Academic CV include:- "Noise Trader Risk in Financial Markets" (Journal of Political Economy, 1990; co-authored with Andrei Shleifer, Lawrence Summers, and Robert Waldmann)
- "Equipment Investment and Economic Growth" (Quarterly Journal of Economics, May 1991; co-authored with Lawrence Summers)
- "In Defense of Mexico's Rescue" (Foreign Affairs, 1996; co-authored with Christopher DeLong and Sherman Robinson)
- "Princes and Merchants: European City Growth before the Industrial Revolution" (Journal of Law and Economics 1993; co-authored with Andrei ShleiferAndrei ShleiferAndrei Shleifer is a Russian American economist. From its inauguration in 1992 until it was shut down in 1997, Shleifer served as project director of the Harvard Institute for International Developments Russian aid project...
) - "The Marshall Plan: History's Most Successful Structural Adjustment Programme" (in R. Dornbusch et al., eds., Postwar Economic Reconstruction and Lessons for the East , Cambridge: M.I.T., 1993; co-authored with Barry Eichengreen)
- "Between Meltdown and Moral Hazard: The International Monetary and Financial Policy of the Clinton Administration" (co-authored with Barry J. EichengreenBarry EichengreenBarry Eichengreen is an American economist who holds the title of George C. Pardee and Helen N. Pardee Professor of Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1987...
) - "Review of Robert Skidelsky (2000), John Maynard Keynes, volume 3, Fighting for Britain" (Journal of Economic Literature, 2002)
- "The Triumph of Monetarism?" (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2000)
- "Asset Returns and Economic Growth" (Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 2005; co-authored with Dean BakerDean BakerDean Baker is an American macroeconomist and co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, with Mark Weisbrot. He previously was a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute and an assistant professor of economics at Bucknell University. He has a Ph.D...
and Paul KrugmanPaul KrugmanPaul Robin Krugman is an American economist, professor of Economics and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, Centenary Professor at the London School of Economics, and an op-ed columnist for The New York Times...
) - "Productivity Growth in the 2000s" (NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2003)
- "The New Economy: Background, Questions, Speculations" (Economic Policies for the Information Age, 2002; co-authored with Lawrence SummersLawrence SummersLawrence Henry Summers is an American economist. He served as the 71st United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He was Director of the White House United States National Economic Council for President Barack Obama until November 2010.Summers is the...
) - "Speculative Microeconomics for Tomorrow's Economy" (First Monday, 2000; co-authored with Michael Froomkin)
- "America's Peacetime Inflation" (in Reducing Inflation, 1998)
- "Keynesianism Pennsylvania-Avenue Style" (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 1996)
- "Productivity and Machinery Investment: A Long-Run Look, 1870-1980" (Journal of Economic History, June 1992)
- "The Stock Market Bubble of 1929: Evidence from Closed-End Funds" (Journal of Economic History, September 1991; co-authored with Andrei Shleifer)
External links
- Grasping Reality with Both Hands (weblog)
- Column archive at Project SyndicateProject SyndicateProject Syndicate is an international not-for-profit newspaper syndicate and association of newspapers. It distributes commentaries and analysis by experts, activists, Nobel laureates, statesmen, economists, political thinkers, business leaders and academics to its member publications, and...
- DeLong's website
- DeLong's website at Berkeley
- Journal of Economic Perspectives
- The Economists' Voice
- "The Order of the Shrill"
- "My Very, Very Allergic Reaction To Brad Delong On Chomsky" by Edward S. HermanEdward S. HermanEdward S. Herman is an American economist and media analyst with a specialty in corporate and regulatory issues as well as political economy and the media. He is Professor Emeritus of Finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He also teaches at Annenberg School for...
, July 24, 2003