Discuss the Contribution to Economics of Adam Smith, Alfred Marshall, John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman

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Discuss the Contribution to Economics of Adam Smith, Alfred Marshall, John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman “Economics is the study of how the forces of supply and demand allocate scarce resources” (www.investorwords.com, 2007).It is subdivided into microeconomics, which examines the behavior of firms, consumers and the role of government; and macroeconomics, which looks at inflation, unemployment, industrial production, and the role of government. There have been many contributors to economic theory throughout the centuries from the classical economic theorists such as Adam Smith to the modern day leading theorists, for example Milton Friedman. Throughout economic history, strategies have been adapted and applied to current circumstances from the classical theories of Smith up to the 1920’s to the more Keynesian approach up to the 1960’s. The role of governments cannot be overlooked and, in particular, how they adopted and applied the theories of such economists. While it is beyond the scope of this essay to outline the contribution of all economists, for the purpose of this essay, I will outline the contribution of Adam Smith, Alfred Marshall, John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman. As well as looking at their individual theories, I will also consider how they have been applied to economies at different stages and what role they play in economic thought today. Adam Smith (1723-1790) is often regarded as the founder of modern economics, and while he is not credited with inventing some of his idea’s he is lauded for compiling and publishing in a manner in which they could be presented and accessible to the average reader. His two main published works are “The Theory of Moral Sentiments” in 1759 and “An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” in 1776. The latter publication, also known as The Wealth of Nations, contains most of the modern

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