Questions about James M. Buchanan

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When was James M. Buchanan born and where did he grow up?

James M. Buchanan was born on the 3rd of October 1919 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He grew up on a farm that suffered during the 1920s when his father borrowed heavily to mechanize operations.

What role did James M. Buchanan serve during World War II?

James M. Buchanan served as an officer on Admiral Chester W. Nimitz's operations planning staff assigned to Honolulu Hawaii from March 1942 until November 1945. He completed his last month of training during the attack on Pearl Harbor on the 7th of December 1941 before being discharged later that year.

How did Frank Knight influence James M. Buchanan's economic views?

Frank Knight taught James M. Buchanan at the University of Chicago starting in 1945 and became his de facto PhD supervisor. Within six weeks of starting his studies Buchanan converted into a zealous advocate of the market order under Knight's instruction.

Why did James M. Buchanan co-author The Calculus of Consent with Gordon Tullock?

James M. Buchanan wrote The Calculus of Consent Logical Foundations of Constitutional Democracy published in 1962 because those who should know what democracy actually was did not understand it. Together he and Gordon Tullock set out to provide an optimal set of political rules for society by applying public choice theory to taxation expenditure decisions budgets and the political process itself.

What policy advice did James M. Buchanan give regarding Chilean military rule?

James M. Buchanan provided policy advice and constitutional political economy arguments to Augusto Pinochet via the Mercatus Center while also allegedly providing an analytical defense of military rule to a predominantly Chilean audience. He cautioned in a 1984 letter that state-sponsored unregulated voucher systems could have unintended consequences including race-class-cultural segregation.

When did James M. Buchanan die and where did he spend his final years?

James M. Buchanan died at their farm on the 9th of January 2013 at age 93 after remaining at George Mason University until retirement. He continued with emeritus status following his retirement from the university.