John Blundell (economist)

John Blundell (9 October 1952 – 22 July 2014) was the Director General and Ralph Harris Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs. Blundell had been involved in the creation and development of numerous free-market think tanks.

Born in Congleton, Cheshire, on 9 October 1952, he was educated at The King's School, Macclesfield, and at the London School of Economics.

He headed the Press, Research and Parliamentary Liaison Office at the Federation of Small Businesses from 1977 to 1982, and was a Lambeth London Borough Councillor from 1978 to 1982. From 1982 to 1993 he was resident in the United States, where he was President of the Institute for Humane Studies (1988–1991); President of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation (1987–1991); President of the Board of the Congressional Schools of Virginia (1988–1992); and President of the Charles G. Koch and Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundations (1991–1992).

Blundell became Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs on 1 January 1993.

In addition he served as Co-founder and Chairman, from 1993 to 1997, of the Institute for Children, Boston, Mass.; Founder Director (1991–1993), Institute for Justice, Washington D.C.; International Trustee (1988–1993), The Fraser Institute, Vancouver, BC; and Founder Trustee of the Buckeye Institute in Ohio.

John Blundell was a Director of Fairbridge and of the International Policy Network and Chairman of the Institute Development and Relations Committee of the board of Atlas Economic Research Foundation. He was also a board member of the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.; of the Institute of Economic Studies in Paris, France; and, until 2012, of the Mont Pelerin Society.

Blundell died on 22 July 2014 at the age of 61.

• Blundell, John; Todd Tennant; Jaymes Reed (2011-06-07). Female Force: Ayn Rand. Bluewater Productions, Incorporated. ISBN 9781450749244. 
• Peacock, Alan; E. G. West; John Blundell; Otmar Issing; Richard Allen Epstein; Carolyn Fairbairn; David B. Smith; Geoffrey Edward Wood; James Tooley; David Graham (2003). Government Failure. Institute of Economic Affairs. ISBN 9780255365475. 
• Blundell, John (2011-01-01). Ladies For Liberty: Women Who Made a Difference in American History. Algora Publishing. ISBN 9780875868660. 
• Blundell, John (September 2008). Margaret Thatcher: A Portrait of the Iron Lady. Algora Publishing. ISBN 9780875866314. 
• Blundell, John; Colin Robinson (2000). Regulation without the state: the debate continues. Institute of Economic Affairs. ISBN 9780255364836. 
• Blundell, John (2003). Waging the war of ideas. Institute of Economic Affairs. ISBN 9780255365475.