What Milton Friedman thinks about government
American economist (1912 to 2006) and 1976 Nobel laureate in economics who argued that competitive markets are a precondition of political freedom and that government power should be limited and dispersed.
Milton Friedman did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
5 dated positions, c. 1962, in their own words. Our reading of what Milton Friedman has said — not written or endorsed by them.
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Our readingA free person sees government as a means, neither a giver of favors nor a master to be worshipped
Their wordshe regards government as a means, an instrumentality, neither a grantor of favors and gifts, nor a master or god to be blindly worshipped and served.
↗Capitalism and Freedom (University of Chicago Press, 2002 edition)books.google.com All 20 from this book
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Their wordsIf government is to exercise power, better in the county than in the state, better in the state than in Washington.
↗Capitalism and Freedom (University of Chicago Press, 2002 edition)books.google.com All 20 from this book
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Our readingGovernment power must be dispersed
Their wordsThe second broad principle is that government power must be dispersed.
↗Capitalism and Freedom (University of Chicago Press, 2002 edition)books.google.com All 20 from this book
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Their wordsWhat the market does is to reduce greatly the range of issues that must be decided through political means, and thereby to minimize the extent to which government need participate directly in the game.
↗Capitalism and Freedom (University of Chicago Press, 2002 edition)books.google.com All 20 from this book
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Their wordsGreat Depression, like most other periods of severe unemployment, was produced by government mismanagement rather than by any inherent instability of the private economy.
↗Capitalism and Freedom (University of Chicago Press, 2002 edition)books.google.com All 20 from this book
The line under a date fills as the words age, a quarter at a time: past a month, six months, a year, and three years. Empty means said within the last month; full, more than three years ago. It says when, not whether it still holds — a change of mind is marked on the claim itself.
Dashed means we only know the words existed by that date; they may be older.