Art Laffer

Art Laffer Speaker Biography

Former Economic Advisor to the Reagan Administration, Known as “The Father of Supply-Side Economics”

Arthur B. Laffer’s economic acumen and influence in triggering a world-wide tax-cutting movement in the 1980s have earned him the distinction in many publications as “The Father of Supply-Side Economics.” The Laffer Curve is one of the main theoretical constructs of supply-side economics, illustrating the tradeoff between tax rates and actual tax revenues.

Areas of Expertise

Dr. Laffer’s career has been marked by experience and success in business, in public policy, and as an academic economist and professor. Dr. Laffer is the founder and chairman of Laffer Associates, an institutional economic research and consulting firm, as well as Laffer Invesments, an institutional investment management firm utilizing diverse investment strategies. The firms provide research and investment management services to a diverse group of clients, which includes institutions, pension funds, corporations, endowments, foundations, individuals and others.

Economic Experience

During the years 1972-1977, Dr. Laffer was a consultant to Secretary of the Treasury William Simon, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and Secretary of the Treasury George Shultz. He was the first to hold the title of Chief Economist at the Office of Management and Budget under Mr. Shultz from October 1970 to July 1972.

Dr. Laffer was a member of President Reagan’s Economic Policy Advisory Board for both of his two terms (1981-1989). He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Reagan/Bush Finance Committee in 1984 and was a founding member of the Reagan Executive Advisory Committee for the presidential race of 1980. He also advised Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on fiscal policy in the U.K. during the 1980s.

Academia and Education

Dr. Laffer was formerly the Distinguished University Professor at Pepperdine University and a member of the Pepperdine Board of Directors. He also held the status as the Charles B. Thornton Professor of Business Economics at the University of Southern California from 1976-1984. He was an Associate Professor of Business Economics at the University of Chicago from 1970 to 1976 and a member of the Chicago faculty from 1967-1976. Dr. Laffer received a B.A. in economics from Yale University in 1963. He received an MBA and a PhD in economics from Stanford University in 1965 and 1972, respectively.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Laffer has been widely acknowledged for his economic achievements. A March 1999 Time Magazine cover story “The Century’s Greatest Minds” deemed the Laffer Curve one of “a dew advances that powered this extraordinary century.” He was listed in “A Dozen Who Shaped the ‘80s” in the Los Angeles Times on January 1, 1990, and in “A Gallery of the Greatest People Who Influenced Our Daily Business” in the Wall Street Journal on June 23, 1989. His creation of the Laffer Curve was deemed a “memorable event” in financial history by the Institutional Investor in its July 1992 Silver Anniversary issue, “The Heroes, Villains, Triumphs, Failures and Other Memorable Events.”

He has received numerous awards and recognition for his economic work, including: two Graham and Dodd Awards from the Financial Analyst Federation for outstanding feature articles published in the Financial Analysts Journal; the Distinguished Service Award by the National Association Investment Clubs; the Adam Smith Award for his insights and contributions to the Wealth of Nations; and the Daniel Webster Award for public speaking by the International Platform Association. Dr. Laffer also earned the Father of the Year award from the West Coast Father’s Day Committee in 1983. Dr. Laffer was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump.

Books and Publications

Dr. Laffer has authored over twenty books including New York Times Best Seller An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of States. His latest is Taxes Have Consequences: An Income Tax History of the United States.

Art Laffer Speaking Topics

Economic Policy Making and the Future of the Economy

In this speech, Dr. Laffer looks at the current economic environment and offers audiences insights on where it's headed - short term, long term, domestically and globally - with prospects for investments, interest rates and business growth.

Insights on the Economy

Dr. Laffer is an expert on economics, and for your audience, he will compare the current economic policies in place in the United States and the political happenings that could affect those policies. In addition, he will analyze the best policies for developing economic growth. Dr. Laffer will provide insight on how the policy environment will affect economic and market performance going forward.

An Economic History of our Nation

Dr. Laffer takes his audiences on a historical tour of the economic policies of our country in this talk. He looks at the topic from a supply-side viewpoint, highlighting that neither good economics nor bad economics is owned by a single party.

Rich States, Poor States

Your audience will gain valuable knowledge on the economics in certain states through this customizable speech. Dr. Laffer discusses the policies which foster economic growth and prosperity in places like Utah and Texas. In addition, he compares them with those which cause economic malaise in states like California and New York. He can provide a focused update on the particular state he is presenting in as well.