Political Economy Colloquium 

Welcome to the website of the Political Economy Colloquium (PEC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Modern political economy may be defined as the study of incentives in group life. The nature of cooperation and competition among individuals and organizations, the role of institutions in structuring individual behavior, and the aggregation of individual preferences into group choice are questions that are central to the study of political economy. Using tools and concepts that originate in economic theory, political economy has grown to encompass theoretical and applied work in economics, political science, sociology, and related disciplines. The Political Economy Colloquium features presentations on a wide range of topics within this field.

Our schedule for 2025/26 can be viewed below. We meet jointly with other Department of Political Science colloquia. In addition to a talk, invited speakers virtually meet with graduate students and faculty members to discuss research. Those who are interested in meeting with speakers are encouraged to contact the graduate student coordinators for the host workshop. 

The Political Economy Colloquium is grateful for the generosity of the William R. Keech Fund for Political Economy and the gifts of Department alumni and friends.