Peter Temin is the Elisha Gray II Professor Emeritus of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  He received his B.A. from Swarthmore College in 1959 and his Ph.D. in Economics from MIT in 1964.  Professor Temin was a Junior Fellow of the Society of Fellows at Harvard University, 1962-65; the Pitt Professor of American History and Institutions at Cambridge University, 1985-86; Head of the Economics Department at MIT, 1990-93; and President of the Economic History Association, 1995-96.  Professor Temin’s most recent books are The Roman Market Economy (Princeton University Press, 2013), Prometheus Shackled: Goldsmith Banks and England’s Financial Revolution after 1700 (Oxford University Press, 2013, with Hans-Joachim Voth), The Leaderless Economy: Why the World Economic System Fell Apart and How to Fix It (Princeton University Press, 2013, with David Vines) Keynes: Useful Economics for the World Economy (MIT Press, 2014, with David Vines), and The Vanishing Middle Class: Prejudice and Power in a Dual Economy (MIT Press, 2017).

By this expert

Inclusive American Economic History

Article | Jan 17, 2020

Containing Slaves, Freedmen, Jim Crow laws and the Great Migration

Inclusive American Economic History: Containing Slaves, Freedmen, Jim Crow Laws, and the Great Migration

Paper Working Paper Series | | Jan 2020

This paper records the path by which African Americans were transformed from enslaved persons in the American economy to partial participants in the progress of the economy.

The Hidden Decline in Human Capital—and the Danger Ahead

Article | Jan 2, 2019

U.S. GDP accounting underestimates intangible capital, overstates financial capital, and is all but oblivious to the the erosion of human and social capital. A serious growth slowdown is coming.

Finance in Economic Growth: Eating the Family Cow

Paper Working Paper Series | | Jan 2019

The American economy changed rapidly in the last half-century. The National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA) were designed before these changes started. They have stretched to accommodate new and growing service activities, but they are still organized for an industrial economy.

Featuring this expert

The Gainesville Sun featured Peter Temin's INET-funded book

News Jan 5, 2021

“But to my surprise, The Atlantic article explained that MIT economist Peter Temin, in his book “The Vanishing Middle Class: Prejudice and Power in a Dual Economy,” not only delved into the contributing factors to poverty and economic inequality, he offered systemic solutions. This approach made the piece a must-read for me because at Gainesville for All, we’re all about finding systemic solutions to problems linked to race and poverty. Temin offered five proposals he believes can help tip the scales favorably for those stuck in the lower class.”— James F. Lawrence, Gainsville Sun

MIT Economist on Coronavirus: Young People “Going to Get Squashed”

Article | Mar 19, 2020

The younger generation, already saddled with student debt and uncertain jobs, will pay a high price as the crisis unfolds.

A Growth Slowdown is Coming

Video | Jan 23, 2019

U.S. GDP accounting underestimates intangible capital, overstates financial capital, and is all but oblivious to the erosion of human and social capital.

Visions Beyond the Haunted House

Article | Mar 14, 2018

Reflections on the Radical Vision of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Last Major Speech