TheTop20 Committee, consistingofKennethJ.Arrow, B. DouglasBernheim,
MartinS. Feldstein, DanielL. McFadden,JamesM.Poterba, andRobertM. Solow,
wasappointedbyRobertMoffitt withthetaskofselectingthe"Top20"articles publishedintheAmericanEconomicReviewduringitsfirst hundredyears.Wedecided
againsttrying todefineformally thecriteria forinclusion: theysurelycomprisesheer
intellectual quality, influence ontheideasandpracticesofeconomists, andgeneral
significance orbreadth; butitwouldbefruitless totrytospecifythemarginal rates
ofsubstitution
amongtheseandotherqualities.Wewerelookingfor20 admirable
andimportant articles