Richard W. Rahn

Credentials

• Ph.D., Business Economics, Columbia University (1972).¹“Richard Rahn,” Discovery Institute. Archived July 29, 2012. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mxyiC
• Honorary Doctor of Laws, Pepperdine University (1993).²“Richard Rahn,” Discovery Institute. Archived July 29, 2012. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mxyiC
• M.B.A., Florida State University (1964).³“Richard Rahn,” Discovery Institute. Archived July 29, 2012. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mxyiC
• B.A., economics, University of South Florida (1963).⁴“Richard Rahn,” Discovery Institute. Archived July 29, 2012. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mxyiC

Background

Richard Rahn is an economist and the current chairman of the Institute for Economic Growth (IGEG). He sits on the advisory boards of numerous think-tanks and advocacy groups. Rahn is also the founder of Novecon companies, and currently sits as the chair of Novecon Financial Ltd.⁵“About us,” Institute for Global Economic Growth. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/xq8KD

According to his profile at the IGEG, Rahn served for two terms (2002-2008) as the first non-Caymanian member of the Board of Directors of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. In the 1980s he was the vice president and chief economist of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, executive vice president and board member of the National Chamber Foundation, and the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Economic Growth.⁶“Richard W. Rahn, Ph.D: Chairman,” Institute for Global Economic Growth. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/LR9DC

In 1990, Dr. Rahn founded the Novecon companies including Sterling Semiconductor (now owned by Dow Corning) and he still serves on the boards of private companies.⁷“Richard W. Rahn, Ph.D: Chairman,” Institute for Global Economic Growth. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/LR9DC

He was the executive director of the American Council for Capital Formation. In 1990-1991, he served as the U.S. co-chairman of the Bulgarian Economic Growth and Transition Project. In 1982, President Reagan appointed Dr. Rahn as a member of the Quadrennial Social Security Advisory Council. During the 1988 Presidential campaign, he served as an economic advisor to President G.H.W. Bush.⁸“Richard W. Rahn, Ph.D: Chairman,” Institute for Global Economic Growth. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/LR9DC

The American Council for Capital Formation (ACCP) is a DC-based free market think tank that has received over $1.6 million from oil-giant ExxonMobil.⁹“Factsheet: American Council for Capital Formation Center for Policy Research, ACCF,” ExxonSecrets. Archived February 28, 2017.

Board members as of late 2011 included representatives of the Nuclear Energy Institute, American Petroleum Institute, National Association of Manufacturers, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.¹⁰“Directors,” ACCF. Archived November 14, 2011. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/tnc2o 

Former board members dating back to 1998 included representatives of Texaco Oil, Enron Corp. and Potomac Electric Power Company.¹¹“Mission: The American Council for Capital Formation and ACCF Center for Policy Research,” ACCF. Archived February 1, 1998. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ExK5F

Rahn is listed on the ACCF board as of 2019 along with four other directors including ACCF president and CEO Mark A. Bloomfield and Susan K. Neely of the American Beverage Association.¹²“Board of Directors,” ACCF. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8MWpM

Stance on Climate Change

May 18, 2008

Rahn wrote an article titled “Real intelligence failures” in The Washington Times:

“Despite the prediction of all the major climate models, the Earth has been getting cooler since 1998.”¹³Richard W. Rahn. “Real intelligence failures,” The Washington Times, May 18, 2008. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.ph/O6Q0e

Key Quotes

August 20, 2005

Writing in The Washington Times, Rahn claimed:

“There is almost no agreement about the rate of [global] warming. There is also considerable disagreement about how much of the warming is man-made – by increasing CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels – and dispute about how much of the additional CO2 will be absorbed by faster vegetation growth and the ocean…

The big question, at least for me as an economist, is whether moderate global warming will be good or bad for mankind. Most evidence strongly suggests modest global warming will be beneficial.”¹⁴Richard Rahn. “Who’s afraid of scientific methods?“ The Washington Times, August 20, 2005. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/1CM8y

Key Deeds

March 2008

Rahn was a speaker at the Heartland Institute‘s First International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC1).¹⁵“ICCC1: Speakers,” International Conference on Climate Change (climateconference.heartland.org). Archived November 12, 2011. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/gXVF8

Affiliations

• American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF) — Director.¹⁶“Board of Directors,” ACCF. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8MWpM
• Institute for Global Economic Growth (IGEC) — Chairman.¹⁷“About us,” Institute for Global Economic Growth. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/xq8KD
• Cato Institute — Former senior fellow.¹⁸“Richard W. Rahn,” Cato Institute. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/a9d2q
• Discovery Institute — Adjunct fellow (in 2005).¹⁹“About Discovery,” The Discovery Institute. Archived September 1, 2005. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/al6ut
• Center for Global Economic Growth (CGEG) — Past director general.²⁰“Richard Rahn,” The Brussels Journal. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Cgqks ²¹“Richard W. Rahn,” Center for Global Economic Growth. Archived April 10, 2007. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/kDTtc Note that the group’s website no longer exists, and it is unclear whether CGEG is still in operation. 
• The Heartland Institute — Formerly listed as an expert.²²“Heartland Experts: Richard Rahn,” The Heartland Institute. Archived February 29, 2016. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.ph/0GQso
• Mont Pelerin Society (MPS) — Member.²³“Richard W. Rahn,” Cato Institute. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/a9d2q

Social Media

• Richard Rahn on LinkedIn
• @Richard_Rahn on Twitter
• Richard Rahn on Facebook

Publications

According to a search of Google Scholar, Richard W. Rahn has published some articles in economics journals, however he has never published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal in any area directly related to climate change.

Other Resources

• “Richard W. Rahn,” SourceWatch profile.
• “Richard W. Rahn,” Wikipedia entry.
• ExxonSecrets Factsheet: Richard W. Rahn.

Resources

• 1
  “Richard Rahn,” Discovery Institute. Archived July 29, 2012. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mxyiC
• 2
  “Richard Rahn,” Discovery Institute. Archived July 29, 2012. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mxyiC
• 3
  “Richard Rahn,” Discovery Institute. Archived July 29, 2012. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mxyiC
• 4
  “Richard Rahn,” Discovery Institute. Archived July 29, 2012. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mxyiC
• 5
  “About us,” Institute for Global Economic Growth. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/xq8KD
• 6
  “Richard W. Rahn, Ph.D: Chairman,” Institute for Global Economic Growth. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/LR9DC
• 7
  “Richard W. Rahn, Ph.D: Chairman,” Institute for Global Economic Growth. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/LR9DC
• 8
  “Richard W. Rahn, Ph.D: Chairman,” Institute for Global Economic Growth. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/LR9DC
• 9
  “Factsheet: American Council for Capital Formation Center for Policy Research, ACCF,” ExxonSecrets. Archived February 28, 2017.
• 10
  “Directors,” ACCF. Archived November 14, 2011. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/tnc2o 
• 11
  “Mission: The American Council for Capital Formation and ACCF Center for Policy Research,” ACCF. Archived February 1, 1998. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ExK5F
• 12
  “Board of Directors,” ACCF. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8MWpM
• 13
  Richard W. Rahn. “Real intelligence failures,” The Washington Times, May 18, 2008. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.ph/O6Q0e
• 14
  Richard Rahn. “Who’s afraid of scientific methods?“ The Washington Times, August 20, 2005. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/1CM8y
• 15
  “ICCC1: Speakers,” International Conference on Climate Change (climateconference.heartland.org). Archived November 12, 2011. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/gXVF8
• 16
  “Board of Directors,” ACCF. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8MWpM
• 17
  “About us,” Institute for Global Economic Growth. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/xq8KD
• 18
  “Richard W. Rahn,” Cato Institute. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/a9d2q
• 19
  “About Discovery,” The Discovery Institute. Archived September 1, 2005. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/al6ut
• 20
  “Richard Rahn,” The Brussels Journal. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Cgqks
• 21
  “Richard W. Rahn,” Center for Global Economic Growth. Archived April 10, 2007. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/kDTtc
• 22
  “Heartland Experts: Richard Rahn,” The Heartland Institute. Archived February 29, 2016. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.ph/0GQso
• 23
  “Richard W. Rahn,” Cato Institute. Archived October 30, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/a9d2q