Adam Smith's writings influence economics today as he believed wealth is created via labor, and self-interest spurs people to use their resources to earn money. Smith's theories that economies thrive with competition, capitalism, and a free market are alive and well in the 21st century.

In The Wealth of Nations, he advocates free trade and limited interference in markets by governments, for which he is seen as the founder of liberal economics. Regarded incorrectly as a champion of laissez-faire economics, Smith supported state intervention in important areas like the education of workers.

His seminal work, "The Wealth of Nations," published in 1776, influenced generations of politicians, leaders, and thinkers, including Alexander Hamilton, who looked to Smith's theories when, as secretary of the treasury, he fashioned the economic system of the United States.

Originally published in 1776, Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations was lauded by America’s founders as a landmark work of Enlightenment thinking about national wealth, statecraft, and moral virtue. Today, Smith is one of the most influential icons of economic thought in America.

Smith's economic theory helped to decouple the economic sector from government control, leading to greater incentives for economic development based on the protection of private property and division of labor.