Thomas Sowell (born June 30, 1930) is an American economist and political commentator. He taught economics at Cornell University, the University of California, Los Angeles, and since 1980 at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he is currently Senior Fellow.

The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to fully satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.

Sowell writes from a libertarian conservative perspective, advocating supply-side economics. He has written more than thirty books (a number of which have been reprinted in revised editions). In 2002 he was awarded the National Humanities Medal.