Jude Wanniski papers, 1965-2005

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Summary

Creators:
Wanniski, Jude, 1936-2005
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.
Extent:
30 manuscript boxes (12.0 Linear Feet)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Jude Wanniski papers, 1965-2006, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

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.

Biographical / historical:
Date Event
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
Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2008.
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.

Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

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.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Jude Wanniski papers, 1965-2006, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US