William A. Niskanen
Chairman Emeritus and Distinguished Senior Economist
William A. Niskanen is chairman emeritus and a distinguished senior economist at the Cato Institute. Between 1985 and 2008, Niskanen was the chairman of the Cato Institute, following service as a member and acting chairman of President Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers. Niskanen has served as director of economics at the Ford Motor Company, professor of economics at the University of California at Berkeley and Los Angeles, assistant director of the federal Office of Management and Budget, a defense analyst at the Rand Corporation, the director of special studies in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the director of the Program Analysis division at the Institute of Defense Analysis. He has written on many public policy issues including corporate governance, defense, federal budget policy, regulation, Social Security, taxes, and trade. Niskanen's 1971 book Bureaucracy and Representative Government is considered a classic. His most recent book is After Enron: the Lessons for Public Policy. Niskanen holds a B.A. from Harvard and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago. The University of Chicago recently honored him with a lifetime professional service award.
Media Contact: 202-789-5200
To Book a Speaking Engagement: 202-789-5226
E-Mail: wniskan@cato.org
Books and Book Chapters
After Enron: The Major Lessons for Public Policy, editor, (2005)
Autocratic, Democratic and Optimal Government: Fiscal Choices and Economic Outcomes (2004)
Policy Analysis And Public Choice: Selected Papers By William A. Niskanen (2004)
Corporate Aftershock: The Public Policy Lessons from the Collapse of Enron and Other Major Corporations, Edited by Christopher L. Culp and William A. Niskanen, (2003)
Cato Studies
"Proffer of Dr. William A. Niskanen," White Paper, November 15, 2000.
"Supply-Side Tax Cuts and the Truth about the Reagan Economic Record," by William A. Niskanen and Stephen Moore, Policy Analysis no. 261, October 22, 1996.
"Crime, Police, and Root Causes," Policy Analysis no. 218, November 14, 1994.
"How to Balance the Budget by Reducing Spending," by William A. Niskanen and Stephen Moore, Policy Analysis no. 194, April 22, 1993.
"The District of Columbia: America's Worst Government?," Policy Analysis no. 165, November 18, 1991.
Articles and Newsletters
"A Preliminary Perspective on the Major Policy Lessons from the Collapse of Enron," by William A. Niskanen, A Cato Commentary, July 2002.
Going Digital! A Guide to Policy in the Digital Age, Coauthor, (1998)
Opinion and Commentary
"Some Major Threats to Limited Government," Examiner.com, March 26, 2008
"An Economic Mistake," USA Today, January 25, 2008
"U.S. Capital Markets May Be Dangerously Overregulated," World Commerce Review, August 28, 2007
"An Alternative Political Future For the District," Examiner.com, July 5, 2007
"Forging a Broader Consensus for Withdrawal from Iraq," Cato.org, May 4, 2007
Events
"25th Annual Monetary Conference: Monetary Arrangements in the 21st Century," November 14, 2007 [Conference]
"Health Savings Accounts: Not Entirely Consumer Directed (Yet)," May 24, 2007 [Policy Forum]
"24th Annual Monetary Conference: Federal Reserve Policy in the Face of Crises," November 16, 2006 [Conference]
"23rd Annual Monetary Conference: Monetary Institutions and Economic Development," November 3, 2005 [Conference]
"The Fed's Monetary Policy Rule," October 14, 2005 [Policy Forum]
Multimedia
"Bailout Round One: FAIL" featuring William A. Niskanen, September 30, 2008 [Flash Audio, 06:25]
William A. Niskanen discusses government bailouts on WUSA 9 September 24, 2008 [Flash Video, 01:50]
William A. Niskanen discusses government bailouts on CNBC's "Closing Bell" September 23, 2008 [Flash Video, 06:15]
William A. Niskanen discusses government bailouts on Reuters TV September 23, 2008 [Flash Video, 01:28]
"The $700-Billion Bailout" featuring William A. Niskanen, September 22, 2008 [Flash Audio, 10:16]