Bridging the gap between academia and real-world problems
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is the world’s premier university source for market-oriented ideas.
As a university-based research center, the Mercatus Center advances knowledge about how markets work to improve people’s lives.
Our mission is to bridge the gap between academic research and public policy problems by advancing an understanding of the economics of public policy. We do this through education and talent development, research, and outreach initiatives.
What does the Mercatus Center do?
Mercatus scholars conduct research, work with students and early-career professionals to apply a mainline economic framework to societal problems. Mercatus makes research findings available to the media, policymakers and academics to connect academic learning with real-world practice.
Mercatus History
Founded in 1980, the Mercatus Center is located on George Mason University’s Arlington and Fairfax campuses. As part of Virginia’s largest public research university, the Mercatus Center supports students in George Mason University’s world-renowned department of economics. Former students who have benefited from Mercatus support are among the most creative scholars working in the social sciences today.
Independence of Research
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is committed to the highest standards of academic quality and credibility for our research procedures and products. We ensure these standards through rigorous internal review, peer review, and a transparent process for selecting and undertaking research projects.
Join the Future of Economics
Discover your career at Mercatus. Join our mission to make the world a better place. Explore flexible opportunities and a collaborative culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can’t find the answers you’re looking for? Reach out to us at [email protected] or call (703) 993-4930.
The Mercatus Center is a university-based research center dedicated to bridging the gap between academic research and public policy problems.
Mercatus is a Latin word for “market.” It is pronounced mer-KAY-tus.
The Mercatus Center is led by a faculty director who is appointed by the provost of George Mason University. Tyler Cowen, a professor of economics at George Mason University, is the current faculty director of the Mercatus Center.
The Mercatus Center supports graduate students interested in understanding social change and in applying economics to solve problems in the world. Our graduate fellows work closely with Mercatus scholars, enjoy access to our rich network of affiliated faculty, participate in sponsored conferences, seminars, workshops, and reading groups, and become actively involved in a learning environment where they can grow as scholars as well as policy analysts.
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization and is supported by foundations (58%), individuals (40%), and businesses (2%) from around the country. The Mercatus Center does not receive financial support from George Mason University or any federal, state, or local government.
Visit our donation page to learn about the many ways to support the Mercatus Center.
The Mercatus Center relies on the generosity of supporters who value economic research that speaks to real-world problems.
The Mercatus Center brings good ideas from scholars around the world to people in government. More than 30% of our budget supports George Mason University professors and the graduate students who have the potential to become tomorrow’s economics professors and policy experts.
Your generosity today can help the Mercatus Center work to bring about a freer, more prosperous, and more peaceful society. Your support will help us inject sound economic thinking into policy debates at both the federal and state levels.
Mercatus scholars do not do directed research or research for hire. Researchers select their own projects and are committed to the highest standards of academic quality and credibility for their research procedures and products.
We ensure our standards through rigorous internal review, peer review, and a transparent process for selecting and undertaking research projects.
While the credibility of the research any organization produces should stand on the quality and reliability of that research alone, more is often necessary. The Mercatus Center strictly adheres to a stated policy regarding independence of research.
The Mercatus Center is one of over 90 centers at George Mason University and is led by a faculty director who reports to the provost. As an independent 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, the Mercatus Center does not receive any financial support from George Mason University or the Commonwealth of Virginia. Mercatus is the largest supporter of graduate education at George Mason University, supporting more than 65 graduate students in the 2018-2019 school year. Throughout its 40 years at George Mason University, Mercatus has helped attract more than a dozen faculty members, including two economists who received the Nobel Prize in Economics while at Mason.