# Mark Thornton

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American economist (born 1960)

Mark Thornton Born (1960-06-07) June 7, 1960 (age 66) United States Academic background Alma mater St. Bonaventure University (BS) Auburn University (PhD) Influences Frederic Bastiat Ludwig von Mises Murray Rothbard Lew Rockwell Academic work Discipline Economic history political economy prohibitionism history of economic thought School or tradition Austrian School Website Information at IDEAS / RePEc

**Mark Thornton** (born June 7, 1960) is an American [economist](/source/Economist) of the [Austrian School](/source/Austrian_School).[1] He has written on the topic of [prohibition of drugs](/source/Prohibition_of_drugs), the economics of the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War), and the "[Skyscraper Index](/source/Skyscraper_Index)".[2] He is a Senior Fellow with the [Ludwig von Mises Institute](/source/Ludwig_von_Mises_Institute)[3] in Alabama and a Research Fellow with the [Independent Institute](/source/Independent_Institute).[4]

## Life and academic career

Thornton speaking about [business cycles](/source/Business_cycles) during the 2008 Mises University conference

Thornton grew up in [Geneva, New York](/source/Geneva%2C_New_York), in an Irish Catholic family of entrepreneurs who were "Democrat in politics".[5]

Thornton received his [Bachelor of Science](/source/Bachelor_of_Science) degree from [St. Bonaventure University](/source/St._Bonaventure_University) (1982), and his [Doctor of Philosophy](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy) degree from [Auburn University](/source/Auburn_University) (1989). Thornton taught [economics](/source/Economics) at [Auburn University](/source/Auburn_University). He formerly taught at [Columbus State University](/source/Columbus_State_University) where he was awarded the Faculty Research and Scholarship Award in 2002.[6] He is now a Senior Fellow at the [Ludwig von Mises Institute](/source/Ludwig_von_Mises_Institute),[3] where he is book review editor for its *[Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics](/source/Quarterly_Journal_of_Austrian_Economics)*.[7] As a writer for the [Mises Institute](/source/Mises_Institute), he is known for warning of a housing bubble in 2004.[8] He has written about prohibition-related issues.[5]

### Prohibition studies

Thornton's first book, *The Economics of Prohibition*, was praised by Thornton's supervisor at the Mises Institute, its vice-president [Murray Rothbard](/source/Murray_Rothbard), who is quoted on the book cover of the 2007 edition as writing: "Thornton's book... arrives to fill an enormous gap, and it does so splendidly...This is an excellent work making an important contribution to scholarship as well as to the public policy debate."[9] Reviewer [David R. Henderson](/source/David_R._Henderson) of the Hoover Institution wrote, "Thornton's book contains much valuable information on prohibition and cites many sources. But the economically literate book on prohibition that makes a case for legalization has yet to be written."[10] Thornton debated the War on Drugs at Oxford Union in 2014.

Libertarian organizations have published Thornton's articles on drug and alcohol prohibition, and he was once interviewed on the topic of prohibition by [Agence France-Presse](/source/Agence_France-Presse).[11][12][13] Thornton contributed a chapter to [Jefferson Fish](/source/Jefferson_Fish)'s book *How to Legalize Drugs*.[14]

## Political activities

Thornton ran for [US Congress](/source/US_Congress) in [1984](/source/1984_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Alabama#District_3).[15] Thornton has been the vice chairman and chairman of the Libertarian Party of Alabama. In 1988, he became the first [Libertarian Party](/source/United_States_Libertarian_Party) office-holder in [Alabama](/source/Alabama) when he was elected [Constable](/source/Constable), a local law-enforcement position.[5][16] He was the Libertarian Party's Candidate for the US Senate in [1996](/source/United_States_Senate_election_in_Alabama%2C_1996). He was also endorsed by the Reform Party, and came in third of four candidates.[16]

## Books

- *[The Economics of Prohibition](https://mises.org/books/prohibition.pdf)*. Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press, 1991. ([ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-87480-379-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87480-379-9))[17]

- *[Tariffs, Blockades, and Inflation: The Economics of the Civil War](/source/Tariffs%2C_Blockades%2C_and_Inflation%3A_The_Economics_of_the_Civil_War)* (with [Robert B. Ekelund, Jr](/source/Robert_B._Ekelund%2C_Jr)). Delaware: Scholarly Resource Books, 2004. ([ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8420-2961-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8420-2961-3))[18]

- *[The Quotable Mises](https://mises.org/books/quotablemises.pdf)* (editor). Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2005. ([ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-945466-45-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-945466-45-5))

- *The Bastiat Collection* (editor). [Volume 1](https://mises.org/books/bastiat1.pdf) and [Volume 2](https://mises.org/books/bastiat2.pdf). Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2007. ([ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-933550-07-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-933550-07-7))

- [*An Essay on Economic Theory: An English translation of Richard Cantillon’s Essai sur la Nature du Commerce en Général*](https://mises.org/books/Essay_on_economic_theory_cantillon.pdf) (Thornton, editor; Chantal Saucier, translator) Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2010. ([ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-61016-001-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-61016-001-8))

## See also

- [List of Austrian-school economists](/source/List_of_Austrian-school_economists)

- [List of Auburn University people](/source/List_of_Auburn_University_people)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-DiLorenzo_1-0)** ["My Associations with Liars, Bigots, and Murderers by Thomas DiLorenzo"](https://archive.lewrockwell.com/dilorenzo/dilorenzo201.html). *archive.lewrockwell.com*. Retrieved 2026-05-01.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Blumenthal, Robin Goldwyn; Strauss, Lawrence C. (November 16, 2013). ["The Skyscraper Index: Edifice Complex"](http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424053111903747504579183851004293202.html?mod=googlenews_barrons). *[Barron's](/source/Barron's_(newspaper))*. The U.S. has a new tallest building—One World Trade Center in New York—and that has conjured up some novel reading of economic tea leaves.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-misesfellow_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-misesfellow_3-1) [Mark Thornton fellow page](https://www.mises.org/fellow/12), [Ludwig von Mises Institute](/source/Ludwig_von_Mises_Institute) website, *accessed December 21, 2013.*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Independentbio_4-0)** ["Mark Thornton"](https://www.independent.org/author/mark-thornton/). *Independent Institute*. Retrieved 2026-05-01.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Diedrich_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Diedrich_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Diedrich_5-2) Joseph S. Diedrich, [Libertarian America: A conversation with Mark Thornton](http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/business-living/2013/mar/24/libertarian-america-conversation-mark-thornton/), [Washington Times](/source/Washington_Times), March 24, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Mark Thornton"](https://mises.org/profile/mark-thornton). *Mises Institute*. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2019-02-28.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics](/source/Quarterly_Journal_of_Austrian_Economics) [website](http://www.qjae.org) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080511164340/http://www.qjae.org/) 2008-05-11 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["When Mainstream Economics Was Wrong, Mark Thornton Was Right – Investing Video & Audio Jay Taylor Media"](https://web.archive.org/web/20230526091401/https://jaytaylormedia.com/when-mainstream-economics-was-wrong-mark-thornton-was-right/). *jaytaylormedia.com*. Archived from [the original](https://jaytaylormedia.com/when-mainstream-economics-was-wrong-mark-thornton-was-right/) on 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2020-06-07.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Mark Thornton, *The Economics of Prohibition*, Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2007, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1610164652](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1610164652)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Henderson_10-0)** Henderson, David. ["Review of Economics of Prohibition"](https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/serials/files/cato-journal/1993/5/cj13n1-13.pdf) (PDF). *Cato Journal*. **13** (1): 152–154.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["AFP: US drinks to 75 years since end of Prohibition"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081205161453/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hRVtdfaLJf-MBMVdTXp9IxmvNhtw). *www.google.com*. Archived from [the original](http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hRVtdfaLJf-MBMVdTXp9IxmvNhtw) on 2008-12-05. Retrieved 2026-05-01.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Thornton, Mark. "Prohibition versus Legalization: Do Economists Reach a Conclusion on Drug Policy?" Independent Institute. *The Independent Review*. Winter 2007. [\[1\]](http://www.independent.org/pdf/tir/tir_11_03_05_thornton.pdf)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Thornton, Mark. "Alcohol Prohibition Was a Failure." Policy Analysis no. 157. Cato Institute. 17 July 1991. [\[2\]](http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=1017)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Fish, Jefferson M., ed. (1998). *How to legalize drugs*. Northvale, N.J: Jason Aronson. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7657-0151-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7657-0151-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** [Gadsden Times](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19841104&id=5rofAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kNcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5763,506602), Nov 4, 1984.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-misesfaulty_16-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-misesfaulty_16-1) [Mark Thornton faculty page](http://academy.mises.org/faculty/mark-thornton/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20131224110210/http://academy.mises.org/faculty/mark-thornton/) 2013-12-24 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), Ludwig Von Mises Institute website, accessed December 21, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Thornton, Mark (1991). *The economics of prohibition*. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-87480-375-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-87480-375-4).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** Thornton, Mark; Ekelund, Robert B. (2004). *Tariffs, blockades, and inflation: the economics of the Civil War*. The American crisis series. Wilmington, Del: SR Books. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4616-6636-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4616-6636-3).

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Mark Thornton](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mark_Thornton).

- [Mark Thornton, profile in Mises.org](https://www.mises.org/thornton)

- "[How Prohibition Made Pot More Potent: Q&A with Auburn University's Mark Thornton](http://reason.com/reasontv/2013/07/02/how-prohibition-has-made-pot-more-potent)." July 2013, *Reason* magazine video, five minutes

- [Mark Thornton](https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=WSMnudMAAAAJ) publications indexed by [Google Scholar](/source/Google_Scholar)

- ["Mark Thornton"](https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=au%3A%22Mark+Thornton%22). [JSTOR](/source/JSTOR).

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