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Economics Reading Room

This area is designed for those who want to get acquainted with economics and the academic frameworks that inform Mercatus research. Mercatus Center scholars and faculty research, write, and speak on a number of topics including: basic economics, economic history, Austrian Economics, market process analysis, experimental economics, neuroeconomics, public choice economics, the economic analysis of the law, and an interdisciplinary approach to the study of social change. 

 

Recent Publications

The Virginia School News Articles and Op-Eds Nicholas Desai February 25, 2008 George Mason University's economics department is the subject of this Doublethink profile.

Paths to Property Books Karol Boudreaux, Paul Dragos Aligica December 18, 2007 This book explores some of the problems and challenges associated with the strategies and policy processes that may lead to the creation of property rights. There is a danger that the cumulated disappointments resulting from defective implementation of formalized property rights will lead, sooner or later, to an overall dismissal of the very idea that secure property are essential for growth and human flourishing.  This book argues that there is only one way to stop this disturbing possibility:  more sensible, more realistic, and better informed implementation strategies.

Mercatus On Policy: Using Economics Experiments to Evaluate Tort Reform Proposals Mercatus On Policy Kevin McCabe, Laura Inglis November 30, 2007 Mercatus Scholar Kevin McCabe and Laura Inglis examine U.S. tort reform proposals through economic experiments.

Using Neuroeconomics Experiments to Study Tort Reform Mercatus Policy Series, Policy Comments Kevin McCabe, Laura Inglis November 30, 2007 Mercatus Scholar Kevin McCabe and Laura Inglis provide an overview of the tort process and introduce a scientific approach for evaluating tort reform proposals. In this Mercatus Policy Series, they describe an experiment that models the tort process and attempt to identify factors that promote pre-trial settlements.

Mercatus On Policy - The Business of Reconciliation Mercatus On Policy Karol Boudreaux, Daniel Sacks November 1, 2007 In the years since the Rwandan genocide in the mid-1990s, Rwandans and the rest of the world have wondered how the nation would recover—both socially and economically—from the devastation and what lessons, if any, can be learned from reconciliation.

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Upcoming Events

2008 Capital Campus Texas Start: July 9, 2008 10:30 AM The Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Texas Public Policy Foundation will co-host a retreat in San Antonio that will provide legislative staffers with an academic perspective on today's pressing policy issues.

Freedom from Want: American Liberalism and the Global Economy Start: May 21, 2008 12:30 PM The Social Change Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University presents a Brown Bag Lecture by Ed Gresser, Director of the Trade and Global Markets Project at the Progressive Policy Institute on his book Freedom From Want: American Liberalism and the Global Economy.

Recent Events

Foundations of Capitalism Start: April 22, 2008 11:30 AM The Economics Department at George Mason University is offering a one-credit course for the Spring 2008 term entitled “Foundations of Capitalism.”  It will be taught by University of Arizona, Professor of Economics and Philosophy David Schmidtz who is a visiting scholar to the Mercatus Center.

The Economic and Religious Systems of Virtual Worlds Start: April 2, 2008 12:30 PM The Mercatus Center at George Mason University presents a special Social Change Project Lecture: The Economic and Religious Systems of Virtual Worlds, a talk by William Bainbridge, adjunct professor at George Mason University.

Past, Present and Future: Monetary Policy Start: April 1, 2008 12:00 PM Monetary policy is developing and changing right before our eyes. These past few weeks the Federal Reserve Board has acted in ways it never before had and this has left some questions about the future of monetary policy. To address some of these concerns, the Mercatus Center is hosting a three day course on the past present and future of monetary policy.

Sovereign Wealth Funds: A Primer Start: March 27, 2008 12:00 PM Over the past few months sovereign wealth funds have been getting a lot of attention. This course will help to clarify what a sovereign wealth fund is and what political and economic implications they pose.

The New Knowledge Economy: Increasing Competitiveness in the Golden State Start: March 25, 2008 12:00 PM Bruce Yandle of Clemson University will discuss the challenge California faces during this transformation and how it compares to other states in the Union. He will also share strategies California policy makers might pursue to preserve and enhance economic growth while ensuring opportunities for greater prosperity for all Californians.

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Scholars

 Omar Al-Ubaydli, Assistant Professor of Economics

 Paul Dragos Aligica, Senior Research Fellow

 Peter Boettke, BB&T Professor for the Study of Capitalism and Research Director for the Global Prosperity Initiative

 Donald Boudreaux, Senior Education Advisor

 Bryan Caplan, Associate Professor of Economics

 Emily Chamlee-Wright, Senior Research Scholar

 Tyler Cowen, General Director

 Christopher Coyne, Associated Research Fellow

 Paul Edwards, Distinguished Affiliated Scholar

 Jerry Ellig, Senior Research Fellow

 David Fand, Associated Scholar

 Jack Goldstone, Fellow

 Robin Hanson, Associate Professor of Economics, George Mason University

 Lawrence Kudlow, Distinguished Scholar

 Kevin McCabe, Scholar

 John Nye, Frederic Bastiat Chair in Political Economy

 Gary Richardson, Duncan Black Chair of Economics

 Russell Roberts, J. Fish and Lillian F. Smith Professor of Economics

 Frederic Sautet, Senior Research Fellow and Senior Editor of the Mercatus Policy Series

 Emily Schaeffer, Graduate Fellow

 Vernon Smith, Professor of Economics and Law

 Thomas Stratmann, Scholar

 Alexander Tabarrok, Bartley J. Madden Chair in Economics

 Werner Troesken, F.A. Harper Professor of Economics

 Bart Wilson, Associate Professor of Economics, George Mason University

 Bruce Yandle, Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Economics