Friedman, Milton
1912–2006

Milton Friedman's framework was free-market absolutism: school vouchers (he invented the modern framework in 1955), drug legalization, free trade, deregulation, and skepticism of government-led economic planning. Both candidates align with Friedman on school vouchers, deregulation, and tax cuts. Cornyn earns more Friedman credit on the centerpiece free-trade position (Friedman was the foremost free-trade advocate of his generation, and Cornyn's USMCA-and-anti-tariff record is far closer to Friedman than Paxton's tariff alignment), and on the classical-liberal institutional-process commitment Paxton's forum-shopping violates. Both lose on Friedman's drug-legalization framework. Friedman's substantive economic policy framework leans rightward but his commitment to neutral methodology and free trade gives Cornyn the edge.