wn good is led, as if by an invisible hand, to achieve the best good for all. Therefore any interference with free competition by government is almost certain to be injurious.
             Although this view has undergone considerable modification by economists in the light of historical developments since Smith's time, many sections of The Wealth of Nations notably those relating to the sources of income and the nature of capital, have continued to form the basis of modern American politics and economy. The Wealth of Nations has also served as a guide to the formulation of governmental economic policies.
             Malthus, on the other hand, in his book An Essay on the Principle of Population conveyed a tone of dreariness. Malthus's main contribution to economics was his theory that a population tends to increase faster than the supply of food available for its needs. This theory contradicted the belief prevailing in the early 19th century that a society's fertility would lead to economic progress. Malthus's theory was often used as an argument against efforts to better the condition of the poor. Food, he believed, would increase in arithmetic ratio (2-4
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