Robert J. Samuelson, a longtime economics columnist for Newsweek and The Washington Post known for making complex fiscal issues accessible to a broad audience, died Saturday in Bethesda, Maryland. He was 79. His daughter, Ruth Samuelson, said his death was due to complications from Parkinson’s disease.
Despite having no formal economics training, Samuelson built a career as an outsider translating dense policy debates into clear, reader-friendly analysis. He often described himself as trying to explain issues to himself first, believing that if he could understand them, his readers could too. Known for a disheveled appearance and a desk piled high with papers, he combined the curiosity of an academic with the rigor of a dedicated journalist, attending think tank meetings and policy briefings with notable enthusiasm.
Samuelson began writing an economics column in 1976 for The National Journal, which The Washington Post soon began publishing. He joined Newsweek in 1984 as a contributing editor, and his columns ran in both publications for decades. Over his career, he received the National Magazine Award for reporting and three Gerald Loeb Awards for distinguished financial commentary.
Often focusing on fiscal responsibility, Samuelson critiqued what he saw as excessive entitlement spending on Social Security and Medicare, but he maintained that his writing was guided by practicality rather than political affiliation. His columns frequently challenged conventional wisdom across the political spectrum, delivering candid analysis on budget deficits, defense spending, and economic policy.
Born December 23, 1945, in Manhattan and raised in White Plains, New York, Samuelson was the son of Abe Samuelson, an industrial cable businessman, and Joan (Kahn) Samuelson, a party planner. He attended Williston Academy and graduated from Harvard University in 1967 with a degree in government, having served as editor of The Harvard Crimson.
He joined The Washington Post in 1968 as a metro reporter but was quickly redirected to the business desk by editor Ben Bradlee. In addition to his columns, Samuelson authored several books, including The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath (2008), analyzing how the taming of high inflation decades earlier contributed to the conditions that led to the 2008 financial crisis.
Samuelson married Judy Herr in 1983 and is survived by his wife, daughter Ruth, sons Michael and John, brother Richard, and two grandchildren. Retiring in 2020, he reflected on his career with characteristic humility, noting that while his commentary may not have changed policy, he remained committed to explaining the economic forces shaping the nation.
