OLL’s April Birthday: David Ricardo (April 18, 1772 – September 11, 1823)

April’s OLL Birthday Essay is in honor of the English stockbroker, political economist, and parliamentarian David Ricardo.  During his relatively short life, Ricardo made contributions to the field of economics that were, and remain, tremendously influential.  Along with Adam Smith, Ricardo was one of the founders of Classical Economics and, indeed, of the field in general.