John R. Commons

John Rogers Commons ( born October 13, 1862 in Holland, Ohio, † May 11, 1945 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) was an American economist and sociologist. As such, he was also a leading proponent of the institutional, evolutionary economic theory as well as an influential policy advisor.

Life

After the successful completion of high school is Commons first tried the short term as a teacher at an elementary school, ended this attempt but relatively quickly. In 1882 his family saved up enough money to allow him to attend the Oberlin College. After completing his bachelor's degree there in 1888, he went for two years for further studies of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore (Maryland). There, he received an offer in 1890 to work as a teacher in economics from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where his engagement was not renewed. After another year at Hopkins University, where he completed his doctorate, he got a job at Oberlin College. He left Oberlin but after only one year to accept a better paying position at the University of Indiana. There he taught economics and sociology. Even Indiana, he left after a year for a well paid position again at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. This site was terminated him in 1899, as the university administration was of the opinion, the activity of ' radicals ' as Commons would adversely affect the amount of donations the university.

As a result Commons worked in the political arena or in the policy advice. So he created an index for wholesale prices, which should provide arguments for the need to increase the money supply by the government and became a member of an industry commission set up by the government with the task of finalizing a report on immigration. Thereafter he was commissioned to conduct research for the National Civics Federation on issues of taxation and labor relations. During this time, Commons developed his interest in labor relations and trade unions, in the publication of the "History of Labour in the United States " culminated in 1918.

1904 Commons then received an offer from the University of Wisconsin, where he worked as a professor until 1932. There he continued his work on the history of the labor movement and continued to develop, with the support of the politician and later Senator Robert M. LaFollette sr. Proposals and initiatives for legislation and policy making. In particular, he took great influence on the design of the initiated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt 's New Deal, which should overcome the effects of the global economic crisis and it is partially even regarded as the intellectual father of this political concept. More significantly influenced by Commons policy initiatives relating to, among other things:

  • Regulations regarding work safety
  • Unemployment
  • Similar social security retirement programs
  • Compensation payments for work-related accidents

Certainly influenced by his political activity to Commons turned to in the thirties of the institutional political economy, and published in 1934, the two-volume work "Institutional Economics. Its Place in the Political Economy ."

Commons died on 11 May 1945 in Fort Lauderdale ( Florida).

Writings (selection )

  • The Distribution of Wealth, 1893
  • Social Reform and the Church, 1894
  • Proportional Representation, 1896
  • A Sociological View of Sovereignty, 1899, in: American Journal of Sociology
  • Trade Unionism and Labor problem, 1905
  • Races and Immigrants in America, 1907
  • Tariff Revision and Protection for American Labor, 1908
  • Laboratory Administration, 1913
  • History of Labor in the United States, 1918
  • Industrial Goodwill, 1919
  • Legal Foundations of Capitalism, 1924
  • Institutional Economics: Its place in political economy, 1934
  • Myself, 1934
  • The Economics and Collective Action, 1950.
Syracuse (New York) University of Wisconsin System Labour movement Integrated Authority File
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