David Friedman

David D. Friedman (born 1945) is an American economist, legal scholar, and writer associated with anarcho-capitalist thought. He is the author of *The Machinery of Freedom*, a book arguing for a society in which many functions commonly performed by government could be provided through voluntary, market-based institutions. Friedman has written on law and economics and is known for applying economic reasoning to legal and social questions. His work has been influential in libertarian and anarchist circles and is frequently cited in debates about private law, policing, and dispute resolution. He is also known for public lectures and essays expanding on these themes.