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, negative income tax, and skepticism of government-led economic planning even when motivated by good intentions. Cornyn wins substantial Friedman points on school choice, deregulation, tax cuts, and especially free trade (Cornyn's USMCA-and-CHIPS-and-anti-tariff record is closer to Friedman's free-trade absolutism than Paxton's tariff alignment); he loses on the marijuana cases and federal scheduling (Friedman explicitly favored drug legalization). Cornyn earns institutional-process credit over Paxton on the textualist-classical-liberal commitment to neutral application of rules. Talarico wins Friedman points on marijuana legalization, tariff repeal, free trade restoration, and immigration reform with citizenship pathways; he loses on minimum-wage increases, corporate tax increases, expanded antitrust enforcement, and Medicare expansion. Cornyn edges Talarico because Friedman's substantive economic policy framework leans rightward — the cleanest Friedman score in the Cornyn cluster.