Richard Jay Zeckhauser (born 1940) is an American economist and the Frank P. Ramsey Professor of Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University.

[2] Zeckhauser holds a B.A., summa cum laude, and a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University.

Early in his career, he was one of the "whiz kids" assembled by Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara to apply cutting-edge analysis to Cold War military strategy.

His most significant works focus on risk management, decision sciences, investment, and policy-making under uncertainty.

[3] His most recent book, with Peter Schuck, is Targeting in Social Programs.