William A. Niskanen
William Arthur Niskanen Jr. (March 13, 1933, Bend, Oregon – October 26, 2011, Washington, D.C.) was an American economist noted as one of the architects of President Ronald Reagan's economic program and for his contributions to public choice theory. He was also a long-time chairman of the libertarian Cato Institute.
“As a nation we have lost our sense of tragedy, a recognition that bad things happen to good people. A nation that expects the government to prevent churches from burning, to control the price of bread or gasoline, to secure every job, and to find some villain for every dramatic accident, risks an even larger loss of life and liberty.”
William A. Niskanen