Political Economy Reading Program

Liberty and American Economic History

The theme for the spring 2026 reading program is Liberty and American Economic History. Participants will read and discuss accounts of economic institutions, practices, and policies that characterize various periods in American history. The readings and discussions will address a range of questions including:

• How did the varied ecological niches of the American West shape Native American institutions and economic behavior?
• What role did the frontier play in American economic history?
• What motivated Progressive Era reformers?
• What caused the Great Depression and the 2008 Financial Crisis?

Participants will receive copies of the following books:

• The Not So Wild, Wild West: Property Rights on the Frontier (Terry L. Anderson and Peter J. Hill)
• Illiberal Reformers: Race, Eugenics, and American Economics in the Progressive Era (Thomas C. Leonard)
• The Triumph of Economic Freedom: Debunking the Seven Great Myths of American Capitalism (Phil Gramm and Donald J. Boudreaux)

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 meeting at the start of the spring 2026 semester, followed by ten (10) discussion meetings. Meetings will be held weekly throughout the semester:

• Texas Tech University — Wednesdays — 5:00-6:15 PM

Dinner will be provided at each discussion meeting. The program will conclude on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

Political Economy Reading Program Summit

Participants will also attend a weekend multi-school summit on January 30-31, 2025 (Friday/Saturday) hosted at Texas Tech University. The summit will feature formal remarks from Terry L. Anderson, John and Jean De Gault Senior Fellow with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Participants in the summit program will read and discuss selected publications authored by Prof. Anderson 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 are eligible and encouraged to apply. Participants that successfully complete the program receive a $1,000 scholarship. Interested students should apply at the link below.

FMI Political Economy Reading Program - Spring 2026 Application

The deadline to apply for the program is Wednesday, December 3, 2025. Successful applicants will receive a formal invitation with more details about the program theme, meeting dates, and meeting locations.

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 free.market@ttu.edu or 806.742.7138.