Presidential Scholar Brian Wesbury Lectures to Open Seats

Empire State Building, NEW YORK– Presidential Scholar and Economist Brian Wesbury explained that wealth comes from an economy's supply rather than from its demand to kick off his seminar series Wednesday, Feb. 15.

Five students, filling a third of the allotted seating space in the Manhattan Room, attended the 30 minute lecture. Two additional students manned the cameras, and two staff members facilitated the lecture.

Students sign up for the seminars online, reserving a specific time period, each with 15 available seats.

"When students are affirmatively signing up for something and then not abiding by those commitments, it doesn't reflect well on those students or on the student body in general," Program Manager Chris Ross said.

Wesbury is the Chief Economist for First Trust Advisers, L.P. in Wheaton, Illinois and in 2001, was ranked by the Wall Street Journal as the nation's number one economic forecaster.

His 10:30 am seminar focused on the question: where does wealth come from?

"I view supply-side economics not only as the correct view of the world, but what makes us better people, more able to share," Wesbury said. "Supply creates wealth."

He cited Abraham Lincoln's 1859 "Fire of Invention" speech and Joseph Schumpeter's idea of creative destruction to argue that each new invention begets a new invention and as time passes, the time increments between inventions decreases.

"Supply-side has never been in better shape," Wesbury said.

Wesbury's other seminars include The Financial Crisis–Why Did Capitalism Fail?, Government Spending and Economic Growth–Capitalism vs. Socialism, The Role of the Federal Reserve, Gold, and Money, and Economic Update 2012–Putting It All Together. Seminars on Thursday, Feb. 16 are at 12 pm (on the federal reserve) and 1:30 pm (economic update) in the Manhattan Room on the 15th floor.

Although students have reserved seats online, there will likely be seats available for walk-ins.