"There is now an imperative need for a sound, positive program of economic legislation," announced Chicago economist Henry Simons in the opening pages of his Positive Program for Laissez-faire: "in earlier periods, [our economic organization] could be expected to become increasingly strong if only protected from undue political interference. Now, however, it has reached a condition where it can be saved only through adoption of the wisest measures by the state."

Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, loc. 716