George Stigler; Economist Advocated Reduced Regulation

George Stigler, 80, whose studies on the impact of government regulation won the 1982 Nobel Prize for economics. Stigler, along with economist Milton Friedman, helped shape what has come to be called the Chicago school of economics, which emphasizes free enterprise and less regulation. Stigler was the author of numerous books, beginning with “Production and Distribution Theories” in 1941. His book, “The Theory of Competitive Price,” was one of the first modern textbooks on microeconomics. Stigler’s 1982 Nobel citation praised him for “seminal studies of industrial structure, functioning of markets and the causes and effects of public regulation.” In Chicago on Dec. 1 of heart failure.