Econ 410 ,  GMU
Public Choice
Fall, 2005



 .US Capital
 Professor:    Roger D. Congleton

Office :       Carow Hall
Phone:     993 2328  office    

E-Mail: Congleto@gmu.edu
WebPage:  rdc1.net
photo of parliament.
Office Hours:  Tuesday and Thursday 3:00 - 4:30, and most other times by appointment .

Recommended Text:
Mueller, D. (2003) Public Choice III. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Some Useful Links
Public Choice Society
FEC
US Constitution  / Constitutions
Elections Market / Gallup
.
 Syllabus
 .
Dates Lecture Topics Text Readings  (See Syllabus for complete reading list)
8/30 I. Introduction: What is Public Choice?, Methodology, Origins of Government
M 1 , C 2
How Predictable is Political Behavior
9/13 II. Introduction to Voting Models Median Voter Model
9/20 III. Applications of the Median Voter Model   
Median Voter Model
9/27 IV. Conceptual Problems with Majority Rule
 Economic and Cultural Prerequisites for Democracy
10/6 V. Stochastic Voting Models and Welfare
10/11 VI. Voting and Institutions
 C: 4, 5
10/20
10/25
10/27
 review for midterm
MIDTERM EXAM
miterm returned
11/1 IX. Bureaucracy as a Special Interest Group
11/3 VIII. Economic and Ideological Special Interests and Rent-Seeking Losses Rent-Seeking Losses and Institutions
11/10
 XI. The Combined Model
11/15 XII. Applications: Environmental Political Economy  Governing the Global Commons

Applications: Public Pensions and Healthcare  (Aging Population, OECD)

11/22 XIII. Constitutional Design
11/29
12/1
12/6
 review for final
FINAL EXAM
finals returned
 Study Guide II
12/8
 XIV. Overview of Course/Papers Workshop
12/15
 Final Papers Due--via e-mail--to: congleto@gmu.edu

Course Grades : 

Midterm       35%
Final Exam   35%
Term paper  30%

 (plus up to 4% bonus for class participation)