F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, & Economics

09/04/2026

In the second of a two-part series, Peter Boettke and Virgil Storr finish their conversation on the legacy of Don Lavoie as both a mentor and scholar. Virgil Storr first reflects on the untimely death of Don Lavoie, how his death influenced those close to him, and the impact he left on his colleagues and students.

Later on, Boettke and Storr discuss the nature of scholarship and the process of exploring gaps in the social sciences before finishing their talk with some thoughts on the importance of interdisciplinary conversations.

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In the second of a two-part series, Peter Boettke and Virgil Storr finish their conversation on the legacy of Don Lavoie as b

09/02/2026

On the second episode of The Hayekian Triangle, Virgil Storr, Peter Boettke, and Chris Coyne place James Buchanan’s essays “Natural and Artifactual Man” and “Afraid to Be Free” in conversation, exploring the tension between human beings’ capacity for self-creation and their desire for protection from uncertainty and responsibility.

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On the second episode of The Hayekian Triangle, Virgil Storr, Peter Boettke, and Chris Coyne examine James Buchanan’s v

09/01/2026

As a high school student, Zofia had no way to pursue her growing curiosity about economics. The fellowship changed everything. Today, as a college freshman studying economics with interests in economic history and quantitative methods, Zofia credits her three years participating in Mercatus fellowships taking the Exploring Complex Solutions fellowship twice in high school and currently participating in the Don Lavoie Fellowship with shaping her entire academic trajectory and showing her what economics could be.

High School Alum Zofia Maruszewska shares her Mercatus Fellowship Story.
https://loom.ly/OVaY8Fw

08/28/2026

In the first of a two-part series, Peter Boettke and Virgil Storr reflect on Don Lavoie’s legacy as both a mentor and a scholar. They remember his commitment to being “an intellectual interlocutor” and “honest in dialogue,” and his belief in the value of freedom.

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In the first of a two-part series, Peter Boettke and Virgil Storr reflect on the legacy of Don Lavoie as both a mentor and sc

08/25/2026

In 2021, having completed his PhD and started as a tenured assistant professor at the National University of Political Science and Public Administration (SNSPA), David applied for the James Buchanan Fellowship. He was looking for that intellectual curiosity "I think meeting some other guys that are in a way similar to myself. I think the type of networking and connection and intellectual connection between me and similar peers."

Buchanan Alum David Diaconu shares his Mercatus Fellowship Story. https://loom.ly/QXC-plo

08/24/2026

"By elevating the perceived urgency of the conversation, political leaders can shift deliberation from a problem-solving inquiry to verbal combat against an enemy. Vincent Ostrom was very concerned about how we use language: It can enable us to seek common understanding and solve problems together. But by conflating social problems with warfare, we place barriers in the way of common understanding and problem solving."

—Nathan Goodman via Guns, Guards, and Governance

Vincent Ostrom on how militarism "places democracies at risk"

08/21/2026

On this episode, Peter Boettke sits down with Bryan Cheang to discuss liberalism and development in Southeast Asia. They explore how different schools of thought can deepen our understanding of economic growth, challenge simplistic narratives of Asian development, and consider how economists can better incorporate culture into their analysis.

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Peter Boettke sits down with Bryan Cheang, discussing unveiling liberalism in Southeast Asia.

08/20/2026

In Part 2 of "Adam Smith, the American Founding and the Political Problem of Wealth," Brianne Wolf examines two historical debates over wealth and political power in the early American republic.

The first debate, between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, concerned the place of aristocracy in republican government. Adams sought institutional means of containing the political influence of wealth, while Jefferson placed greater confidence in citizens’ ability to distinguish a natural aristocracy of virtue and talent from an artificial aristocracy of wealth and birth.

The second, between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, concerned whether the institutions of the Constitution could adequately check elite power, or whether those institutions would instead facilitate political domination by the wealthy.

These disagreements reflected a broader problem that also occupied Adam Smith: how political institutions might constrain wealth from becoming a source of political privilege and cronyism.

As Wolf writes, Smith and the founding generation “all disagreed on the best way to prevent cronyism or the emergence of an oligarchy or plutocracy.”

Check out her article here

July 26, 2024 How do you make sure bad people do not end up in control of necessary institutions? How do you make sure that good people can rise to positions of leadership that require virtue? The American founders struggled and arguing and learned from each other as well as from thoughtful predeces...

08/19/2026

On this episode, Peter Boettke sits down with Brianne Wolf to explore Adam Smith’s enduring relevance for liberalism, political economy, and contemporary debates about markets and democracy.

Their conversation ranges from Wolf's book project, "Beyond Rights and Price: Liberalism with Taste," changing student attitudes toward inequality, expertise, and democracy, to the relationship between the Scottish Enlightenment and the American founding.

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On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Peter Boettke sits down with Brianne Wolf to explore Adam Smith’s endurin