ECON 4650 - Public Choice Spring 2025
Instructor: Bonnie Wilson
Email: bonnie.wilson@slu.edu
Office: DS 369b
In-person office hours (when classes are in session):
Tuesdays 2:00 - 3:00; Thursdays 9:45 - 10:45
Virtual office hours: Make an appointment in advance here; Zoom link
Materials/Assignments
Introduction
Origins of the state
Social contract theory/contractarianism. Questions; prepare for 01.23 [Feel free to choose one "old" and one "new" contractarian.]
Constitutional economics. Buchanan and Tullock, ch. 5-6 in The Calculus of Consent. Questions; prepare chapter 5 #1-6 for 01.28; add chapter 5 #7-11 and chapter 6 #1-2 for 01.30; add chapter 6 #3-9 for 02.04
Olson, Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development. Questions; prepare #1-4 for 02.06; add #5-12 for 02.11
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Exam 1 material cut-off ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faction and collective action
Madison, Federalist #10. Questions. Prepare #1-3 for 02.18; add #4-5 for 02.27
Olson, The South Will Fall Again. Questions; prepare #1-5 for 03.04; add#6-7 for 03.06
practice problems; submission form; submit in class on 03.18
Oneal, The Theory of Collective Action and Burden Sharing in NATO. Questions; prepare for 03.20
Rent seeking
Tullock, The Welfare Costs of Tariffs, Monopolies, and Theft; The Transitional Gains Trap. Questions; prepare #1-4 for 03.25; add #5-8 for 03.27
Classroom license lottery game [in class on 04.01]
Stigler, The Theory of Economic Regulation. Questions; prepare #1-4 for 04.03; add #5 for 04.15; add #6-7 for 04.22
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Exam 2 material cut-off ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[On Stigler - includes only discussion items #1-4]
Yandle, Bootleggers and Baptists. Questions. Prepare for 04.22
McChesney, Rent Extraction. Questions. [Here for your reading pleasure and edification only. Not included on the final exam.]
Wrap-up
Brennan and Buchanan, Is Public Choice Immoral? Questions; prepare for 04.29
No class meeting on 05.01. [I will be away - at Mizzou - that day.]
Spreadsheet
As I record scores, I will post updated versions of the course spreadsheets. Scores are listed the by last four digits of your ID, and sorted numerically by ID. If you have questions or concerns, and especially if you spot any recording errors, please let me know.
Spreadsheet, updated 04.30
Exam 1 histogram
Exam 2 histogram
Announcements
Extra office hours in preparation for the final exam:
Monday, 05.05, 11:00 - 1:00
Tuesday, 05.06, 10:00 - 11:00; 1:00 - 2:00
Wednesday, 05.07, 2:00 - 3:30
Extra and regular office hours in preparation for exam 2:
Tuesday, 04.08, 2:00 - 3:00
Wednesday, 04.09, 11:00 - 1:00, 2:00 - 3:00
Extra and regular office hours in preparation for exam 1:
Monday, 02.17, 11:30 - 1:00
Tuesday, 02.18, 9:45 - 10:45, 2:00 - 3:00
Wednesday, 02.19, 1:00 - 3:00
Links
Are we in control of our decisions? (Ariely on rationality)
Pecuniary externalities (01.16)
Infographic (Musk/Trump) [HT: Ellie]; US POLITY rating; state capture or coup; self coup
Rise and fall of the Western territorial peace [HT: Louis]
Old Exams
spring 2024; exam 1 (multiple choice solutions); exam 2 (multiple choice solutions)
[exam 2 not germane: multiple choice 1-4, 18-20; short answer 1, 4]
spring 2023: exam 1 (multiple choice solutions); exam 2 (multiple choice solutions)
[exam 2 not germane: multiple choice 1-3, 15-18; short answer 3.b. and 3.c.]
Exam Dates
In-class exam 1: Thursday, February 20
In-class exam 2: Thursday, April 10
Final exam: Thursday, May 8, 12:00 - 1:50 (day 2/5)