Economics has witnessed a dramatic transformation since the Second World War, both in terms of its depth and range. With this in mind, the Palgrave series, Remaking Economics: Eminent Post-War Economists, examines the nature of this transformation through the work of those economists who have been responsible for the changes that have taken place. Much of how we do economics today, not just in terms of theory and its applications but the very way in which economics is marketed both to the profession and to the general public, grew out of the battles initiated and sustained by a handful of economists and those they subsequently influenced. Since these battles are not in the distant past, and some of the chief combatants have died only recently, what their work meant and how it influenced economics is still largely unexplored. Indeed, relatively little has been written about these transformative figures in terms of single edited volumes dedicated to examining their work and influence. Remaking Economics: Eminent Post-War Economists fills this gap with volumes edited by important economists in their own right, with contributions in each volume not only from some of the most prestigious scholars currently working in economics but also from promising younger economists. 

By addressing key themes and retaining a focus on originality, each volume will give the reader new and valuable insights. The series will also strengthen economists’ knowledge of the history of their subject and hopefully inspire future research. Published in 2018, the first volume in the series is devoted to James Buchanan and is edited by Richard Wagner, Buchanan’s former student, co-author and colleague. Buchanan received his PhD from the University of Chicago in 1948 and was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 1986. The 50 essays in the volume are organized into seven parts, with the titles of those parts reflecting the breadth of Buchanan’s body of scholar work. In turn, these parts are dedicated to “subjectivism and the methodology of political economy,” “public finance and the theory of the state,” “collective action and constitutional political economy,” “ethics, social philosophy, and liberal political economy,” economic theory as social theory,” “money, debt, and the rule of law,” and “Buchanan in relation to other prominent scholars.” The authors of these essays are concerned with exploring how one or another of Buchanan’s many lines of inquiry might be carried productively into contemporary scholarly inquiry.

Following on from the Buchanan volume, two furthers volumes in the series will be published in 2019, the first on George Stigler, edited by Craig Freedman, and the second on Paul Samuelson, edited by Richard Anderson, William Barnett and Robert Cord. Additional volumes are planned to appear going forward.

Robert A. Cord holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, and his areas of interest include the history of economic thought and, within this, the history of macroeconomics. His publications include The Palgrave Companion to Cambridge Economics (2017), The Palgrave Companion to LSE Economics (2019), Reinterpreting the Keynesian Revolution (2012) and, as co-editor, Milton Friedman: Contributions to Economics and Public Policy (2016).​​​​​​​