Personal comments from some of Roger Farmer's friends

• Published date: 01 March 2019
• Date: 01 March 2019
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/ijet.12212

Personal comments from some of Roger Farmer’s friends

This section contains reminiscences of relationships with Roger from some of his teachers,

colleagues, coauthors, and students. Given the constraints on space, it would have been impossible to

include contributions from all his friends and colleagues. We therefore apologize to those who would

have liked to contribute but are not included. The following texts are arranged in alphabetical order

by author.

William A. Barnett, University of Kansas, Lawrence, and Center for Financial Stability, New

York City

Roger Farmer uniquely occupies a rarified area of the field of macroeconomics. His work does not fit

any one, simple label, other than ‘‘Farmerian economics.’’ He uses sophisticated developments in

economic theory, such as nonunique sunspot equilibria, while taking strong positions on policy.

Most economists who work at the cutting edge of economic theory avoid taking strong positions on

policy, while most economists who take strong positions on policy avoid the use of advanced

developments in economic theory. For example, some of Roger’s most recent research produces

policy recommendations resembling those of post-Keynesians, while using economic theory and

mathematics at levels untouched and unapproached by identifiable post-Keynesians. Roger Farmer

is one of a kind.

Ray Barrell, Centre for Macroeconomics, London School of Economics (LSE), and Brunel

University London

As a graduate student at LSE I taught a course at Latymer, and Roger was by far their best

student. He showed his desire to follow his own path, going to Manchester University to study

with Laidler and Parkin, following them to Canada for a PhD. His research has reflected his

desire to follow his own path, and lead others along it. He has helped change the way people

think. Our paths continually crossed, and when we were both on the faculty at the European

University Institute (EUI) in Florence one of my PhD students described his teaching as so good

there was no option but to learn. When I was briefly the Director of the National Institute in

2010, I tried to persuade the Council to take him on as Research Director. They appointed him

some years after I left, and he has been the breath of fresh air I expected, giving the Institute new

dimensions. My one regret in our friendship is that we have never published together, even

though our papers have overlapped in themes and journals. It remains a pleasure seeing him

regularly at the Reform Club, where he has been an active and well-respected member for many

years.

Jess Benhabib, New York University

I met Roger at a 1985 conference in Paris on Non-Linear Economic Dynamics, organized by

Jean-Michel Grandmont and Pierre Malgrange. Roger and I stayed up one evening, discussing

macroeconomic fluctuations at a caf

e. We were convinced that macroeconomic fluctuations

should be studied under rational expectations in general equilibrium, but we were not sure that

such fluctuations could all be well-explained by introducing a variety of exogenous fundamental

shocks. We wondered if multiple equilibria could be a robust feature of many empirically

doi: 10.1111/ijet.12212

International Journal of Economic Theory 15 (2019) 129–134 ©IAET 129

International Journal of Economic Theory