Robert Lucas Jr.

Economics American 1937 – 2023 103 quotes

A Nobel laureate who developed rational expectations theory, profoundly influencing macroeconomics and policy analysis.

Quotes by Robert Lucas Jr.

The problem of economic growth is the most important problem in economics.

On the Mechanics of Economic Development 1988

The 'Lucas Critique' is a reminder that economic models are not static.

Econometric Policy Evaluation: A Critique 1976

The idea of rational expectations is that people learn from their mistakes.

Expectations and the Neutrality of Money 1972

The challenge for economists is to build models that are consistent with the data.

Studies in Business-Cycle Theory 1981

The most important thing is to be open to new ideas.

Interview

The rational expectations hypothesis is a powerful tool for analyzing the effects of uncertainty.

Expectations and the Neutrality of Money 1972

The problem of economic development is a problem of understanding the sources of productivity growth.

On the Mechanics of Economic Development 1988

The 'Lucas Critique' is a call for more rigorous economic modeling.

Econometric Policy Evaluation: A Critique 1976

The idea of rational expectations is that people anticipate the effects of policy.

Econometric Policy Evaluation: A Critique 1976

The challenge for macroeconomics is to provide a coherent explanation for the business cycle.

Models of Business Cycles 1987

The most important thing is to be intellectually honest.

Interview

The main lesson we should take away from the '70s is that when you think it's a recession, it is.

Interview 2003

Economic theory has many uses - from explaining prices to guiding policy - but it is not a crystal ball.

Book 1995

Rational expectations imply that people learn from past mistakes and adjust their behavior accordingly.

Paper 1972

Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon.

Speech 1976

The central problem of depression-prevention has been solved, for all practical purposes.

Essay 2003

Macroeconomics was founded as a way of looking at the world that made the Great Depression a historical curiosity.

Lecture 1980

Once one is willing to accept ex ante identical individuals, it is but a short step to accepting the view that society should be regarded as a collection of identical individuals.

Book 1988

Forecasting is a mug's game.

Interview 1976

The consequences for human welfare involved in questions like these are simply staggering.

Book 1988