The Alex G. McKenna Economic Education Series

Directed by Dr. Gary M. Quinlivan, the Center's Executive Director, this series reflects the Center's strong advocacy of free markets operating in an environment of minimal government involvement. The Center also promotes the idea of ethics. As Adam Smith recognized, free markets must operate in an economic and political system that has a solid ethical foundation. The Alex G. McKenna Series was initiated in 1986. The series brings in four renowned economists per year to address contemporaneous economic problems. The lectures are published under the banner of Economic Directions.

Past Lectures

2006 

Dr. Paul Moreno - How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love Federalism, Hillsdale College - 9-20-2006

Dr. Jeff Miron -Libertarian Land: The Case for Minimal Government, Boston University - 9-13-2006

2005/06

 A Debate on the Merits of Wal-Mart - Dr. Dwight R. Lee, University of Georgia and Dr. Kenneth Stone, University of Iowa

Mr. William W. Beach - Public Policy in the Age of Entitlements: How the Coming Financial Crises in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security Will Fundamentally Change Politics and Public Policy, Director of Center for Data Analysis, The Heritage Foundation

Mr. Christopher DeMuth- Unlimited Government, President, American Enterprise Institute.

Dr. Michael Szenberg - Globalization, Technology, and Three Societal Goals, Distinguished Professor of Economics and Chair of Economics and Finance Department, Lublin School of Business

2004/05

Dr. Robert Dwyer - Buyer-Seller Relationships That Work, Professor of Marketing, University of Cincinnati

Mr. John G. Quigley - Venture Capital in 2004: The Real Deal, Visiting Professor of Finance, Princeton University, Managing Partner of Nasau Capital

Dr. Linda Babcock - Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide, Professor of Economics, Carnegie Mellon University

Dr. Francis X. Diebold - The Outlook for Interest Rates and the Macroeconomy, Professor of Economics, Finance and Statistics, University of Pennsylvania

2003/04

Dr. Henry Grabowski - Innovation and Access to Medicines for Orphan Diseases Professor of Economics and Director of the Program in Pharnaceuticals and Health Economics, Duke University.

Dr. James Gwartney - Economic Freedom and Cross-Country Differences in Income and Growth Professor of Economics and Policy, Florida State University.

Dr. James Kellaris - Confessions of a Jingle Scientist: On the Inportance of Trivial Research Professor of Marketing, University of Cincinnati.

Dr. Edmund S. Phelps - How Corporatism Cramps Dynamism and Dulls Prosperity in Continental Europe McVickar Professor of Political Economy, Columbia University

2002/03

Dr. Adam Lerrick - A New Approach to Development Aid: Changing the Incentives The Friends of Allan Meltzer Chair, Senior Lecturer of Economics, Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Patrick Conway - Should the International Monetary Fund Be Liquidated? Professor of Economics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Dr. Gene Grossman - Trade and The Environment: Friends or Foes? Jacob Viner Professor of International Economics, Princeton University.

Dr. Daniel Benjamin - Myths of Recycling Professor and Senior Research Scholar, Clemson University.

2001/02

Dr. Neil Wallace - A Virtue of Uniform International Currency Professor of Economics, Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Charles W. Calomiris - Emerging Market Banks: The Achilles Heel of Liberalization Paul M. Montrone Professor of Private Enterprise, Columbia University School of Business.

Dr. Charles I. Plosser - Monetary Policy: A Shadow Perspective Dean and John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics and Public Policy, William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Rochester.

Dr. Clive W.J. Granger - The Effect of Uncertanity on Economic Policy Chancellor's Associates Chair in Economics, University of California, San Diego.

2000/01

Dr. Jagdish Bhagwati - After the Seattle Debacle: What Next for Free Trade? Arthur Lehman Professor of Economics, Columbia University.

Dr. Hal R. Varian - Economic Forces in the Network Economy Dean, School of Information Management Systems, University of California at Berkeley.

Dr. Stanley W. Black - From Wirtschaftswunder to Kaltstart: Fifty Years of the German Economy Professor of Economics, The University of North Carolina.

Dr. James Walker - Institutions for Facilitating Cooperation Professor of Economics, Indiana University.

1999/00

Dr. Anna J. Schwartz - Earmarks of a Lender of Last Resort Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

Dr. Stephen P. Zeldes - Privatizing Social Security: Risk and Return Benjamin Rosen Professor of Economics and Finance, Columbia University

Dr. Walter C. Labys - Can World Market Volatility Upset the U.S. Economy Saint Vincent Prep School Class of 1955, Professor and Benedum Distinguished Scholar, West Virginia University

Dr. Vernon L. Smith - Personal Vs Impersonal Exchange McClelland Professor of Economics, the University of Arizona

1998/99

Dr. Jeremy Siegel - Are Stocks Still Right for the Long-Run? Professor of Finance, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Joseph Terza - Analyzing the Effects of Public Policy Using Non-Experimental Data: Applications In Health Economics Saint Vincent College Class of 1964, Associate Professor of Economics, Pennsylvania State University

1997/98

Dr. David R. Henderson - Government: Don't Just Stand There, Undo Something Research Fellow, Hoover Institution and Associate Professor of Economics, Naval Postgraduate School

Dr. Richard Cyert - The Executive Compensation Controversy President Emeritus and Richard M. and Margaraet S Cyert Professor of Economics and Management, Carnegie- Melon University

Dr. Bruce Yandle - Searching for Common Sense and Common Law for the Environment Alumni Distinguished Professor of Economics and Branch Banking and Trust Scholar, Clemson University

Dr. Harvey Rosen - Do Taxes Affect Entrepreneurs' Investments? John L. Weinberg Professor of Economics and Business Policy, Princeton University

1996/97

Dr. Steve H. Hanke - Rules Versus Discretion: Argentina Versus Mexico Professor of Applied Economics, The Johns Hopkins University

Dr. Richard E Wagner - Complexity, Governance And Economic Policy Harris Professor of Economics, George Mason University

Dr. Kajal Lahiri - Welfare Reform for The Disabled Economics Professor and Chair SUNY at Albany

Dr. Robert A. Mundell - The International Monetary System In The 21ST Century: Could Gold Make A Comeback? Professor of Economics, Columbia University

1995/96

Dr. Richard V. Burkhauser - Providing a Living Wage: Why Increases In the Minimum Wage are No Longer the Answer for Helping the Working Poor Professor of Economics Maxwell School, Syracuse University

Dr. David R. Henderson - Government Intervention In Health Care: Savior or Villain Associate Professor of Economics at the Naval Postgraduate School, Senior Research Fellow with the Hoover Institution

Dr. Donald J. Mullineaux - Is Bill Gates Right: Is Banking A Dinosaur? DuPont Chair in Banking and Financial Services, University of Kentucky

1994/95

Dr. Terry Anderson - The Market and The Environment: The Carrot vs. The Stick Montana State University, Professor of Economics Senior Associate of the Political Economy Research Center

Dr. Robert Tollison - Externalities and Internalities George Mason University, Duncan Black Professor of Economics

Dr. Fred Singer - Stratospheric Ozone: Politically Correct and Other Views President, The Science and Environmental Policy Project

Dr. Richard Lindzen - Science and Politics: Global Warming and Eugenics Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan Prof. of Meterology

Dr. Richard W. Tresch - Welfare Reform: Shared Views and Disagreements Associate Professor and Chairperson of Economics, Boston College

1993/94

Michael Parkin - Clinton's Fiscal Policy: A First Semester Assignment University of Western Ontario, Professor of Economics

Dr. Burton Malkiel - Investment Strategies for the Remainder of the 90's Princeton University, Chemical Bank Chairman's Professor of Economics

Dr. Karen Vaughn - Did We Learn th Right Lessons From the Fall of Communism? George Mason University, Professor of Economics

Dr. Frederic Mishkin - Preventing Financial Crisis Columbia University, A. Barton Hepburn Professor of Economics

1992/93

Dr. Patricia Danzon - Health Care Reform: A Review of the Options The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Cella Moth Professor

Dr. Robert Barro - Presidential Economics Harvard University, Professor of Economics

Dr. Richard McKenzie - America: What Went Right in the 1980's University of California, Walter Gerken Professor of Enterprise and Society

Dr. Rachel McCulloch - Foreign Investment in the US: Source of Strength or Sign of Weakness? Brandeis University, Rosen Family Professor of Economics

1991/92

Dr. Yale Brozen - The Most Inguitous Tax? Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, Emeritus Professor of Business Economics

Dr. Ronald Hansen - Deregulation vs. Reregulation: The Case of Medical Technologies William E. Simon Graduate School of Business, University of Rochester, Associate Dean

Dr. Gordon Tullock - The Costs of Regulation and the Benefits of Deregulation University of Arizona, Karl Eller Professor of Economics and Political Science

Dr. Kevin Sontheimer - An Ethical and Moral Evaluation of of Private Property and Market Freedom University of Pittsburgh, Chairperson Department of Economics

1990/91

Dr. Peter B. Kenen - Foreign Investment in the US: Should we be Concerned? Princeton University, Walker Professor of Economics and International Finance

Dr. Ryan Amacher - Western Experiences with Privatization: Are There Lessons for Eastern Europe? Clemson University, Dean, College of Commerce and Industry

Dr. Murray Weidenbaum - The Consumer Stake in Deregulation Center for the Study of American Business, Director/Washington University, Mallinckrodt Distinguished Professor

Dr. Walter Williams - The Legimate Role of Government in a Free Society George Mason University, John Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics

Dr. Emanuel Savas - Privatization: A Worldwide Movement City University of New York, Baruch College

1987/88

Dr. Anne O. Krueger - Protectionism: US Firms and Foreign Competition Stanford University, Professor of Economics

Dr. Rudiger Donbusch - Third World Debt: The US and the Banks MIT, Ford International Professor of Economics

Dr. Charles Kindleberger - Is There An Impending World Depression? MIT, Ford International Professor of Economics

Dr. William Poole - Financial Implications of the US Trade Deficit Brown University, Professor of Economics

1986/87

Dr. Gary S. Becker - Pressure Groups and Political Power University of Chicago, Professor

Dr. Bennett T. McCallum - Why is Monetary Policy Important Carnegie-Mellon University, Professor of Economics

Dr. James M. Buchanan - Government Failure, Market Failure George Mason University, Holbert L. Harris University Professor

Dr. Allan Meltzer - Monetary Reform: Domestic and International Carnegie-Mellon University, John M. Olin Professor of Political Economy