Political Economy Reading Program

Markets and Society: Foundations of Prosperity

The theme for the fall 2026 reading program is Markets and Society: Foundations of Prosperity. Participants will examine how incentives, institutions, and individual choices shape economic and social outcomes. Participants will explore enduring questions such as:

• Why do some societies prosper while others remain poor?
• How do markets coordinate human activity?
• What role do rules and institutions play in development?
• How can economic reasoning help us understand the modern world?

The full schedule of readings and topics of discussion will be posted to this page at a later date. The program will begin with an Introductory Session at the start of the fall 2026 semester on August 25, 2026, followed by ten (10) discussion meetings. Meetings will be held weekly throughout the semester:

• Angelo State University — Tuesdays — 5:00-6:15 PM

Dinner will be provided at each discussion meeting. The program will conclude by Tuesday, November 17, 2026.

Political Economy Reading Program Summit

Participants will also attend a weekend multi-school summit on September 11-12, 2026 (Friday/Saturday) hosted at Texas Tech University. The summit will feature formal remarks from Michael C. Munger, Pfizer, Inc./Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. University Distinguished Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. Participants in the summit program will read and discuss selected publications authored by Prof. Munger prior to the summit program and participate in interactive discussion groups on issues related to the program theme.

Program Eligibility and Application

Full-time undergraduate students from any field of study at Angelo State University are eligible and encouraged to apply. The deadline to apply for the fall 2026 program is Thursday, June 11, 2026. Interested students may apply at the link below: 

Political Economy Reading Program - Fall 2026 Application

Past Reading Programs

To view information about previous iterations of this program, visit the archive at the following link:

FMI Political Economy Reading Program Archive

If you have questions about the Political Economy Reading Program, or if you would like to receive updates and announcements about future programs, please contact the Free Market Institute at fmi@angelo.edu or 806.742.7138.