Robert J. Barro

The work. Ricardian equivalence, the new classical macro of the late 1970s, and the cross-country growth regressions that made "Barro regressions" a genre. He later put rare disasters into asset pricing.

The case for. He has sat on every shortlist for two decades and his citation count is enormous. Few living economists have shaped both macro theory and empirical growth.

The case against. He is 82, his work sprawls across too many topics for one citation, and growth got its prize in 2024 and again in 2025.

The KmikeyM angle. Ricardian equivalence says rational agents see through the government's financing tricks. KmikeyM shareholders see through Mike's too, which is why the books are open.