Donald J. Boudreaux

Credentials

• Ph.D.,  economics, Auburn University (1986).¹“Speakers at FFF Events,” The Future of Freedom Foundation. Archived February 12, 2006. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/s8cFj
• Law degree, University of Virginia (1992).²“Speakers at FFF Events,” The Future of Freedom Foundation. Archived February 12, 2006. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/s8cFj

Background

Donald J. Boudreaux is an economist and former director of the Center for the Study of Public Choice at George Mason University³“Donald Boudreaux,” The Center for Study of Public Choice, Economics Department, George Mason University. Archived October 2, 2023. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/x8qtX where he continues to work as a professor of economics.⁴“Donald J Boudreaux,” George Mason University Economics. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/D2RuI

He was previously chairman of the Department of Economics at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia from 2001 to 2009.⁵“Donald J Boudreaux,” George Mason University Economics. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/D2RuI

Before that, he served as president of the New York-based free market think-tank Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) from 1997 to 2001.⁶“Donald J Boudreaux,” George Mason University Economics. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/D2RuI

Boudreaux describes his primary work as a weekly column for the the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER).⁷“Donald Boudreaux,” The Center for Study of Public Choice, Economics Department, George Mason University. Archived October 2, 2023. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/x8qtX He is also a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute.⁸“Donald Boudreaux,” Fraser Institute. Archived October 2, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/5AxHA

Stance on Climate Change

August 13, 2006

“Those of us who recognize these important benefits of capitalism … are reluctant to yield power to governments to tackle global warming… . [I]t’s a perfectly legitimate stance for truly reasonable people to conclude that the best policy regarding global warming is to neglect it — and let capitalism continue to make us healthier and wealthier.” (emphasis added)⁹“CEI Expert: ‘The Best Policy Regarding Global Warming Is To Neglect It’,” ThinkProgress, August 15, 2006. Archived June 3, 2012. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/UfoXl ¹⁰Donald J. Boudreux. “The case for neglecting global warming,” Pittsburg Tribune-Review, August 13, 2006. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/XjQ3e

On Covid

February 9, 2022

“Vaccination against Covid is insisted upon with the same fervor that religious zealots exhibited centuries ago when insisting upon the truths of their particular dogmas. Sensible people are naturally suspicious of such dogmatism and will resist becoming its victims,” Boudreaux wrote in an article for the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER).¹¹Donald J. Boudreaux. “On Skepticism of Covid-19 Vaccines,” AIER, Feburary 8, 2022. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/cW47V

Key Quotes

May 30, 2011

“So confident am I that the number of deaths from violent storms will continue to decline that I challenge Mr. McKibben—or Al Gore, Paul Krugman, or any other climate-change doomsayer—to put his wealth where his words are. I’ll bet $10,000 that the average annual number of Americans killed by tornadoes, floods and hurricanes will fall over the next 20 years. Specifically, I’ll bet that the average annual number of Americans killed by these violent weather events from 2011 through 2030 will be lower than it was from 1991 through 2010.”¹²Donald J. Boudreux. “More Weather Deaths? Wanna Bet?” Wall Street Journal, May 30, 2011. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/KKnYI

Key Deeds

February 2008

Boudreaux was a speaker at the 2008 First International Conference on Climate change (ICC1), an event hosted by the Heartland Institute.

His speech, titled “The Environment in Economic and Historical Perspective,” can be viewed below¹³.“2008 International Conference on Climate Change: Video,” The Heartland Institute. Archived May 7, 2009.

Affiliations

• George Mason University (GMU) — Professor.¹⁴“Donald J Boudreaux,” George Mason University Economics. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/D2RuI
• American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) — Author of a weekly column.¹⁵“Donald Boudreaux,” The Center for Study of Public Choice, Economics Department, George Mason University. Archived October 2, 2023. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/x8qtX
• Fraser Institute — Senior fellow.¹⁶“Donald Boudreaux,” Fraser Institute. Archived October 2, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/5AxHA
• Mercatus Center at George Mason University — Senior fellow with the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.¹⁷“Donald Boudreaux,” Fraser Institute. Archived October 2, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/5AxHA
• Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) — Adjunct analyst.¹⁸“Donald J. Boudreaux: Adjunct Analyst,” Competitive Enterprise Institute. Archived July 28, 2014. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/vFaPr
• The Cato Institute — Adjunct scholar.¹⁹“Donald J. Boudreaux: Adjunct Scholar,” Cato Institute. Archived April 10, 2023.
• Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) — President, 1997–2001.²⁰“Donald J Boudreaux,” George Mason University Economics. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/D2RuI
• The Future of Freedom Foundation (FFF) — Past speaker at FFF-sponsored events.²¹“Speakers at FFF Events,” The Future of Freedom Foundation. Archived February 12, 2006. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/s8cFj
• The Independent Institute (TII) — Research fellow.²²“Donald J. Boudreaux,” The Independent Institute. Archived April 10, 2023, Archive URL: https://archive.ph/CRIGo
• Virginia Institute of Public Policy — Has sat on the Board of Scholars.²³“Board of Scholars,” Virginia Institute for Public Policy. Archived May 27, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ubV3o

Publications

Donald J. Boudreaux has published some articles in peer-reviewed publications in the area of economics. According to a search of Google Scholar, he has never published a peer-reviewed article in the area of climate.

Boudreaux has published numerous newspaper articles in The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Regulation, Reason, Ideas on Liberty, The Washington Times, The Journal of Commerce, the Cato Journal, and several scholarly journals on economics.

Sample Articles

• Donald J. Boudreaux. “The case for neglecting global warming,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, August 13, 2006.
• “More Weather Deaths? Wanna Bet?” The Wall Street Journal, May 28, 2011.

Other Resources

• ExxonSecrets Factsheet: Donald J. Boudreaux.
• “Donald J. Boudreaux,” SourceWatch profile.

Resources

• 1
  “Speakers at FFF Events,” The Future of Freedom Foundation. Archived February 12, 2006. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/s8cFj
• 2
  “Speakers at FFF Events,” The Future of Freedom Foundation. Archived February 12, 2006. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/s8cFj
• 3
  “Donald Boudreaux,” The Center for Study of Public Choice, Economics Department, George Mason University. Archived October 2, 2023. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/x8qtX
• 4
  “Donald J Boudreaux,” George Mason University Economics. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/D2RuI
• 5
  “Donald J Boudreaux,” George Mason University Economics. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/D2RuI
• 6
  “Donald J Boudreaux,” George Mason University Economics. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/D2RuI
• 7
  “Donald Boudreaux,” The Center for Study of Public Choice, Economics Department, George Mason University. Archived October 2, 2023. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/x8qtX
• 8
  “Donald Boudreaux,” Fraser Institute. Archived October 2, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/5AxHA
• 9
  “CEI Expert: ‘The Best Policy Regarding Global Warming Is To Neglect It’,” ThinkProgress, August 15, 2006. Archived June 3, 2012. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/UfoXl
• 10
  Donald J. Boudreux. “The case for neglecting global warming,” Pittsburg Tribune-Review, August 13, 2006. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/XjQ3e
• 11
  Donald J. Boudreaux. “On Skepticism of Covid-19 Vaccines,” AIER, Feburary 8, 2022. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/cW47V
• 12
  Donald J. Boudreux. “More Weather Deaths? Wanna Bet?” Wall Street Journal, May 30, 2011. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/KKnYI
• 13
  .“2008 International Conference on Climate Change: Video,” The Heartland Institute. Archived May 7, 2009.
• 14
  “Donald J Boudreaux,” George Mason University Economics. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/D2RuI
• 15
  “Donald Boudreaux,” The Center for Study of Public Choice, Economics Department, George Mason University. Archived October 2, 2023. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/x8qtX
• 16
  “Donald Boudreaux,” Fraser Institute. Archived October 2, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/5AxHA
• 17
  “Donald Boudreaux,” Fraser Institute. Archived October 2, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/5AxHA
• 18
  “Donald J. Boudreaux: Adjunct Analyst,” Competitive Enterprise Institute. Archived July 28, 2014. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/vFaPr
• 19
  “Donald J. Boudreaux: Adjunct Scholar,” Cato Institute. Archived April 10, 2023.
• 20
  “Donald J Boudreaux,” George Mason University Economics. Archived April 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/D2RuI
• 21
  “Speakers at FFF Events,” The Future of Freedom Foundation. Archived February 12, 2006. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/s8cFj
• 22
  “Donald J. Boudreaux,” The Independent Institute. Archived April 10, 2023, Archive URL: https://archive.ph/CRIGo
• 23
  “Board of Scholars,” Virginia Institute for Public Policy. Archived May 27, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ubV3o