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John Kenneth Galbraith (1908 - 2006)
John Kenneth Galbraith was an influential Canadian-American economist. He was a
Keynesian and an institutionalist, a leading proponent of 20th-century American
liberalism and progressivism. His books on economic topics were bestsellers in
the 1950s and 1960s.
Galbraith was a prolific author who produced four dozen books and over a
thousand articles on various subjects. Among his most famous works was a popular
trilogy on economics, "American Capitalism" (1952), "The Affluent Society"
(1958), and "The New Industrial State" (1967).
He taught at Harvard University for many years. Galbraith was active in
politics, serving in the administrations of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S.
Truman, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson; and among other roles served as
U.S. ambassador to India under Kennedy.
He was one of a few two-time recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He
received one from President Truman in 1946 and another from President Bill
Clinton in 2000.
He was also awarded the Order of Canada in 1997 and, in 2001, the Padma
Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, for his contributions to
strengthening ties between India and the United States.
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