Fred L. Smith, Jr. is the founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Competitive Enterprise Institute. He served as president from 1984 to 2013 and is currently the Director of CEI’s Center for Advancing Capitalism.
His public policy research has covered a wide range of topics, including regulatory reform, free market environmentalism, antitrust law, and international finance and comparative economics. Smith’s current focus is bringing leaders in the business and academic worlds together to defend capitalism and craft narratives that highlight the moral legitimacy of free markets.
His many published works include chapters in the books “Field Guide to Effective Communication” (2004), “Corporate Aftershock: The Public Policy Lessons from the Collapse of Enron and Other Major Corporations” (2003), “Ecology, Liberty, & Property: A Free Market Environmental Reader” (2000), “The Future of Financial Privacy: Private Choices versus Political Rules” (1999), “Environmental Politics: Public Costs, Private Rewards” (1992), and “Steering The Elephant: How Washington Works” (1987). His academic articles have appeared in journals such as Harvard Journal of Law and Economics and Knowledge, Technology, and Policy.
Smith has also written widely for leading newspapers and magazines such as The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, USA Today, National Journal, Economic Affairs, and Forbes. He has also made hundreds of television and radio appearances on networks such as ABC, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, National Public Radio, and Radio America, among others.
Before founding CEI, Smith served as Director of Government Relations for the Council for a Competitive Economy, as a senior economist for the Association of American Railroads, and for five years as a Senior Policy Analyst at the Environmental Protection Agency. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the American Conservative Union, and the American Council on Science and Health and a member of the Foundation for Economic Education’s Faculty Network.
Smith graduated with top honors and holds a Bachelors of Science in Theoretical Mathematics and Political Science from Tulane University. He has also done graduate work in mathematics and applied mathematical economics at Harvard, SUNY at Buffalo, and the University of Pennsylvania.
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The Financial Crisis: Will More Governmental Stimulus and Regulation Save Our Economy?
Indiana - Bloomington Student Chapter
Indiana University Maurer School of Law211 S Indiana Ave
Bloomington, IN 47405
Is Free-Market Capitalism a Friend or Foe of the Environment?
Campbell Student Chapter
Campbell University School of Law225 Hillsborough St
Raleigh, NC 27603
Capitalism, Regulation, and the Financial Crisis
California-Davis Student Chapter
UC Davis School of Law400 Mrak Hall Dr
Davis, CA 95616
Regulation and the Financial Crisis
North Carolina Student Chapter
University of North Carolina School of Law160 Ridge Rd
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Regulation and the Economy
Chicago-Kent Student Chapter
Chicago-Kent College of Law565 W Adams St
Chicago, IL 60661
Environmental Problems in Eastern Europe: Learning from the United States' Mistakes [Archive Collection]
1990 National Lawyers Convention
On November 30- December 1, 1990, the Federalist Society hosted its annual National Lawyers Convention...
Environmental Problems in Eastern Europe: Learning from the United States' Mistakes [Archive Collection]
1990 National Lawyers Convention
On November 30- December 1, 1990, the Federalist Society hosted its annual National Lawyers Convention...
The Financial Crisis: Will More Governmental Stimulus and Regulation Save Our Economy?
Indiana - Bloomington Student Chapter
The Indiana-Bloomington Student Chapter hosted this debate on "The Financial Crisis: Will More Governmental Stimulus...
The Financial Crisis: Will More Governmental Stimulus and Regulation Save Our Economy?
Indiana - Bloomington Student Chapter
The Indiana-Bloomington Student Chapter hosted this debate on "The Financial Crisis: Will More Governmental Stimulus...