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Acquisition Information
Preferred Citation
Biographical Note
Scope and Content of Collection
Arrangement
Title: Jude Wanniski papers
Date (inclusive): 1965-2005
Collection Number: 2008C50
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
30 manuscript boxes
(12.0 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Acquired in 2008, the Jude Wanniski papers in the Hoover Institution Library & Archives document the career of a journalist
and consultant who, from the early 1970s until his death in 2005, sought to influence both popular opinion and the political
establishment in the United States. As an editor of the Wall Street Journal, and then as the head of his own consulting firm,
Polyconomics, Inc., Wanniski was a tireless advocate of supply-side economics, a term that he devised after becoming acquainted
with the ideas of the economists Arthur Laffer and Robert Mundell. In opposition to Keynesian doctrine, Wanniski and other
supply-siders promoted tax reductions and a reduced role for government as means of promoting capital formation and economic
growth.
Creator:
Wanniski, Jude, 1936-2005
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Access
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual
or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
Use
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Acquisition Information
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 2008.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Jude Wanniski papers, 1965-2006, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Biographical Note
1936 |
Born, Pottstown, Pennsylvania |
1959 |
Master of Arts, Journalism, University of California at Los Angeles |
1961-1965 |
Columnist,
Las Vegas Review-Journal
|
1965-1972 |
Columnist,
National Observer
|
1972-1978 |
Associate editor,
Wall Street Journal
|
1975 |
Coins term "supply-side economics" and popularizes ideas of Arthur Laffer and Robert Mundell |
1978 |
Author,
The Way the World Works
|
1978-2005 |
President, Polyconomics, Inc. |
1998 |
Author,
The Last Race of the 20th Century
|
2005 |
Died |
Scope and Content of Collection
The Jude Wanniski papers in the Hoover Institution Library & Archives document the career of a journalist and consultant who,
from the early 1970s until his death in 2005, sought to influence both popular opinion and the political establishment in
the United States. As an editor of the Wall Street Journal, and then as the head of his own consulting firm, Polyconomics,
Inc., Wanniski was a tireless advocate of supply-side economics, a term that he devised after becoming acquainted with the
ideas of the economists Arthur Laffer and Robert Mundell. In opposition to Keynesian doctrine, Wanniski and other supply-siders
promoted tax reductions and a reduced role for government as means of promoting capital formation and economic growth.
In 1978, Wanniski published a book on economics, The Way the World Works, that popularized these ideas and gave a supply-side
account of history. He wrote many editorials on public policy and conducted an extensive correspondence with politicians whom
he hoped would implement the ideas he championed, often functioning as an unofficial campaign adviser. Among those he advised
were Jack Kemp, Bob Dole, and Ronald Reagan, as well as two businessmen who ran for the presidency, Ross Perot and Steve Forbes.
Although primarily associated with the Republican Party, Wanniski also had a close connection to the Democrats Bill Bradley
and Charles Rangel, and corresponded with President Bill Clinton.
The
Correspondence series forms the bulk of the Wanniski papers. Routine correspondence is organized chronologically, followed by more significant
correspondence, arranged alphabetically by name. Along with the political figures already mentioned, there are significant
exchanges of letters between Wanniski and various policymakers and officials, including Alan Greenspan, Paul Volcker, Donald
Rumsfeld, and James Baker. This series also includes Wanniski's substantial correspondence with the Nation of Islam leader,
Louis Farrakhan. Wanniski's association with Farrakhan, whom he came to view as a friend and political ally, proved to be
highly controversial.
There is also an
Email messages series in the papers. Dating from late in Wanniski's career, a number of these messages are available as searchable PDF files
that can be viewed on a workstation computer in the reading room. There are also printouts of some messages in the papers
themselves. In both cases, certain recipients are identified only by email address and salutation rather than full name.
The
Political consulting file in the papers is comprised of memoranda sent to Bob Dole and Jack Kemp, as well as a number of speeches written by Wanniski
for others. The
Speeches and writings series includes the manuscripts of his books, The Way the World Works and The Last Race of the 20th Century, as well as numerous
examples of Wanniski's work as a journalist and his record as a public speaker. In addition to numerous pieces on economics,
there are also many speeches and writings devoted to issues of foreign policy. By the end of his life, Wanniski had become
a sharp critic of American military intervention in Iraq and elsewhere.
Wanniski's professional life is documented in the
Subject file of the papers, which includes materials relating to his work as a consultant in Puerto Rico and the Russian Federation.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into seven series: Biographical File, Correspondence, Email Messages, Speeches and Writings, Political
Consulting File, Writings by Others, and Subject File.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
United States -- Economic policy
United States -- Politics and government