About Public Choice

Economics traditionally focuses on the behavior of firms and consumers and how individuals interact in market settings. Public choice builds on economic and political theories to analyze the behavior of voters, candidates, legislators, bureaucrats, and the institutions under which they operate.

Public choice uses modern economic tools to study problems that are traditionally in the sphere of political science. (A more general term is 'political economy', an earlier name for 'economics'.)

In particular, public choice models the behavior of voters, politicians, and government officials as (mostly) self-interested agents and analyzes their interactions under a variety of institutional settings. Public choice analysis has roots in positive analysis ("what is") but is often used for normative purposes ("what ought to be"), to identify a problem or suggest how a system could be improved by changes in institutions.

What We Do

The Center for Public Choice & Market Process aims to promote understanding of free society's foundations by supporting faculty research, mentoring students, and fostering discussions on related topics.
  • Mission

    The Mission of the Center for Public Choice & Market Process (CPM) is to advance the understanding of the economic, political, and moral foundations of a free society. We support faculty research and professors who not only teach, but mentor our students. The Center also provides programming that encourages and values discussion and debate regarding the theory, history, and practice of a free society and related social, economic, and political institutions. Our aim is to continue the tradition of the teacherscholar model across scholarly boundaries. We achieve this by pairing students with dedicated faculty members who work with their mentees to research and learn more about free-market ideas. The Center motivates students to develop critical thinking, to learn about the entrepreneurial thought process in their work, no matter their intended major or career choice.

  • Vision

    Our vision is to give all College of Charleston students the opportunity to study and explore the concepts of an economically and politically free society. Our programs expose students and the broader community to discourse in the ideas of a free society, to read and discuss these theories to develop critical thinking skills among their peers. We will create a growing community of faculty fellows to research with, teach and mentor students on the principles and practice of freedom. Our mentoring programs will strive to create lifelong learners that understand the complex nature of a society of free and responsible individuals. Our goal is that they will contribute to its preservation in the practices of business, non-profits, and academia.

  • Objectives

    • To provide an opportunity for students to engage with their peers on the ideas of political economy
    • To expose students, faculty, and the broader Charleston Community to the ideas of a free society
    • To mentor students to the importance of free society in the practices of business, non-profits, and academia after graduation