Skip to main content

Neoclassical Synthesis

  • Living reference work entry
  • Latest version View entry history
  • First Online:

Abstract

The term ‘neoclassical synthesis’ appears to have been coined by Paul Samuelson to denote the consensus view of macroeconomics which emerged in the mid-1950s in the United States. This synthesis remained the dominant paradigm for another 20 years, in which most of the important contributions, by Hicks, Modigliani, Solow, Tobin and others, fit quite naturally. The synthesis had, however, suffered from the start from schizophrenia in its relation to microeconomics, which eventually led to a serious crisis from which it is only now re-emerging. I describe the initial synthesis, the mature synthesis, the crisis and the new emerging synthesis.

This chapter was originally published in The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd edition, 2008. Edited by Steven N. Durlauf and Lawrence E. Blume

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Bibliography

  • Baumol, W. 1952. The transactions demand for cash. Quarterly Journal of Economics 66: 545–546.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarida, R., J. Gali, and M. Gertler. 1999. The science of monetary policy: A New Keynesian perspective. Journal of Economic Literature 37: 1661–1707.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, S. 1977. Long-term contracts, rational expectations, and the optimal money supply rule. Journal of Political Economy 85: 191–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, M. 1957. A theory of the consumption function. New York: NBER.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberger, A., and L. Klein. 1955. An econometric model of the United States, 1929–1952. Amsterdam: North-Holland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodfriend, M., and R. King. 1997. The new neoclassical synthesis and the role of monetary policy. In NBER macroeconomics annual 1997, ed. B. Bernanke and J. Rotemberg. Cambridge: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, R., and D. Jorgenson. 1967. Tax policy and investment behavior. American Economic Review 57: 391–414.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, A. 1949. Monetary theory and fiscal policy. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hicks, J. 1937. Mr Keynes and the ‘classics’: A suggested interpretation. Econometrica 5: 147–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R. 1980. Methods and problems in business cycle theory. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking 12: 696–715.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R., and T. Sargent. 1978. After Keynesian macroeconomics. In After the Phillips curve: Persistence of high inflation and high unemployment. Boston: Federal Reserve of Boston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Metzler, L. 1951. Wealth, saving and the rate of interest. Journal of Political Economy 59: 93–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Modigliani, F. 1944. Liquidity preference and the theory of interest and money. Econometrica 12: 45–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Modigliani, F. 1980. Collected papers. Vol. 1: Essays in macroeconomics. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Modigliani, F., and R. Brumberg. 1954. Utility analysis and the consumption function: An interpretation of cross section data. In Post-Keynesian economics, ed. K. Kurihara. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patinkin, D. 1948. Price flexibility and full employment. American Economic Review 38: 543–564.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patinkin, D. 1956. Money, interest and prices. New York: Harper and Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phelps, E. 1972. Inflation policy and unemployment theory. London: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Samuelson, P.A. 1947. Foundations of economic analysis. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Samuelson, P. 1951. Principles and rules in modern fiscal policy: A neoclassical reformulation. In Money, trade and economic growth: Essays in honor of John Henry Williams, ed. H. Waitzman. New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Samuelson, P. 1955. Economics. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, J. 1980. Aggregate dynamics and staggered contracts. Journal of Political Economy 88: 1–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tobin, J. 1956. The interest-elasticity of transactions demand for cash. Review of Economics and Statistics 38: 241–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tobin, J. 1958. Liquidity preference as behavior towards risk. Review of Economic Studies 25: 65–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Copyright information

© 2008 The Author(s)

About this entry

Cite this entry

Blanchard, O.J. (2008). Neoclassical Synthesis. In: The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95121-5_1218-2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95121-5_1218-2

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-349-95121-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Economics and FinanceReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Neoclassical Synthesis
    Published:
    20 March 2017

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95121-5_1218-2

  2. Original

    Neoclassical Synthesis
    Published:
    11 November 2016

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95121-5_1218-1