What is Public Choice Theory? Geoffrey Brennan

The standard definition of Public Choice is that it’s the application of economic methods to the study of political processes. In this video, Professor Geoffrey Brennan explains what that means, giving insight into the origin of public choice theory, and why it’s such a powerful tool for examining public policy and political institutions.

This video is part of a series exploring major concepts in public choice theory, and it's also part of a larger series about foundational topics in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) courses. Videos in the series feature six professors who teach in university PPE programs.

Geoffrey Brennan is Emeritus Professor of Economics at Australian National University. He joined the Economics Faculty of the ANU in 1968. From 1976-1983 Geoffrey was Professor in the Public Choice Center at Virginia Tech, where he worked extensively with (1987) Nobel Laureate James Buchanan, co-authoring two books and a dozen articles with him over that period. He joined the Social and Political Theory program in RSSS in 1997 and the Philosophy Program in 2010. Since 2005 he has spent a semester each year in the joint Duke/UNC PPE program as the General Director.

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Watch all 23 videos in the PPE series here

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