1930 – 1982
Leif Johansen (1930–1982) was a Norwegian economist and economic theorist at the University of Oslo, best known for his foundational contributions to public economics and multi-sectoral growth modeling. He made significant analytical contributions to public goods theory, including work on preference revelation and the conditions under which goods exhibit non-excludability and non-rivalry. His theoretical rigor bridged mathematical economics and normative questions about resource allocation and collective provision.
Developed the MSG (Multi-Sectoral Growth) model, an early computable general equilibrium model
Advanced the theory of public goods and the Johansen mechanism for voluntary preference revelation
Contributed to the formal analysis of non-excludable and non-rival goods in economic theory
Authored 'Public Economics' (1965), a foundational graduate-level text in the field
Pioneered quantitative planning models used in Norwegian economic policy