# Eric Hammer **URL:** --- Eric Hammer holds a PhD in economics from George Mason University. His PhD thesis is titled “[Analyzing the Moral Effects of the Welfare State Through the Lens of Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments](https://economics.gmu.edu/defenses/1057),” and it provides part of the basis for the present essay. Currently, Hammer is a sales, inventory and operations planning manager for a specialty motor manufacturer.