Sir Robert Giffen (1837 to 1910) was a Scottish journalist, statistician and civil servant, born in Strathaven, Lanarkshire. After moving to London he became Bagehot's assistant at The Economist in 1868 and later founded the journal The Statist. He wrote on wage rates, economic growth and national product, edited the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society from 1876 to 1891, and rose to controller-general of the statistical, commercial and labour departments of the Board of Trade, serving until 1897. Alfred Marshall credited him with suggesting that for some inferior goods the income effect is so strong that the law of demand may be violated, which is why such goods are called Giffen goods.
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Source History of Economic Thought Website: Robert Giffen profile
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Source History of Economic Thought Website: Robert Giffen profile
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Source History of Economic Thought Website: Robert Giffen profileProfile pageQuote, Profile page
Scottish journalist, statistician and civil servant.
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History of Economic Thought Website: Robert Giffen profile
History of Economic Thought WebsiteProfile pageQuote, Profile page
Giffen is credited by Marshall for suggesting the possibility that, in the case of some inferior goods, the income effects are so strong that the law of demand may be violated.
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