Robert Samuelson joined Newsweek as a contributing editor in 1984. One of the magazine's most recognized writers, his bi-weekly columns analyze and report socioeconomic issues.

In addition to his Newsweek column, Samuelson writes a bi-weekly column, which appears in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe and other papers.  His columns are sold in syndication by The Washington Post Writers Group. In 2001, a collection of his columns from Newsweek and The Washington Post was published in a book entitled, "Untruth: Why the Conventional Wisdom Is [Almost Always] Wrong," by Random House. Another book, "The Good Life and Its Discontents: The American Dream and the Age of Entitlement 1945-1995," was published in January 1996 by Times Books, a division of Random House.  It recently went into paperback.

Samuelson was named one of the "100 Most Influential Business Journalists" of 1998 by The Journalist and Financial Reporter newsletter. He has earned many other journalism honors, including a Clarion Award from the Association for Women in Communications in 1997, which recognized "excellence in clear, concise communication" in the Magazine/Editorial Regular Opinion Column category for a collection of his columns. Samuelson's other awards include a 1993 John Hancock Award for Best Business and Financial Columnist and the Gerald Loeb Award for Best Commentary in 1993 and 1986.  He was named a Loeb finalist in 1988 for his columns on the October 1987 Wall Street crash.  Samuelson earned another Clarion Award for Best Magazine Editorial/Opinion Column in 1994 and the National Headliner Award for Consistently Outstanding Column on One Subject in 1987, 1992, 1993 and 1995.  Prior to joining Newsweek, Samuelson also won a 1981 National Magazine Award and a 1983 Loeb Award.

Based in Washington, D.C., Samuelson began his journalism career as a reporter on The Washington Post's Business Desk in 1969.  After four years he left the paper to freelance.  He has been published by The Sunday Times (London), The Los Angeles Times, The New Republic and The Columbia Journalism Review.

Samuelson joined The National Journal as an economics correspondent in 1976 and began writing the "Economic Focus" column.  He became a contributing editor in 1981 and left the magazine in 1984.

Samuelson is a graduate of Harvard University with a B.A. in government.  Based in Newsweek's Washington bureau, he lives in Bethesda, Md., with his wife Judith Herr, their daughter and two sons.