Alexander Schaefer joined the Adam Smith Fellowship while pursuing his PhD in economics at the University of Arizona. The fellowship shaped his research agenda, providing ideas for papers and influencing the way he approaches economics and the world. Smith Alum Alexander Schaefer shares his Mercatus Fellowship Story. mercatus.org/students/econom…

Lillian Foos discovered the Exploring Complex Solutions fellowship as a high school student after her father, an economics teacher, encouraged her to apply. The experience deepened her interest in economics and education policy and gave her the confidence to pursue a career in education and make a difference. Mercatus Alum Lillian Foos shares her story. mercatus.org/students/econom…

Bryan Cheang discovered the Adam Smith Fellowship during his PhD studies in political economy at King's College London. Coming from Singapore, Bryan was drawn to the fellowship's interdisciplinary approach and its focus on understanding how free markets and liberal institutions work across different cultural contexts. Smith Alum @bryancheang_ shares his Mercatus Fellowship Story. loom.ly/4v3e_-8

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. loom.ly/OVaY8Fw

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. loom.ly/QXC-plo

Toward the end of his master's program in philosophy and cognitive science from Tübingen Malte found out about Mercatus. "And then towards the end of that, someone I met through that scholarship, the scholarship was like a German liberal organization scholarship, introduced me to Mercatus and was like, man, Malte, I think you would really like these people and you really like these events, you should apply. " Malte applied for the Frédéric Bastiat Fellowship. It was his first time visiting the United States, and it opened a world he hadn't imagined. Bastiat & Smith Alum Malte Hendrickx shares his Mercatus Fellowship Story. loom.ly/ZVvux3E

@RachBehrLaRose's first major project crystallized everything. Working with @vstorr, who would become her dissertation advisor, she wrote a paper on Aristotelian friendships in the marketplace. They ran a survey of thousands of people, testing different sorts of Aristotelian friendship and how present they were in marketplace versus non-market systems. "It was a perfect place to marry my two passions." PhD Alum Rachael Behr LaRose shares her Mercatus Fellowship Story. loom.ly/DTz_zTo

250 years ago, America declared its independence. About 60 years later, a young Frenchman named Alexis de Tocqueville arrived to investigate the sources of this democratic experiment's stability — and the conditions that might undermine it. 🇺🇸 This volume, edited by @PeterBoettke & Adam Martin, brings together emerging scholars across economics, political science, sociology & philosophy to explore Tocqueville's political economy: his views on constitutionalism, liberalism, education & institutions, and how they apply to today's biggest debates — from mass incarceration to international relations. As we reach this 250-year milestone, Tocqueville's diagnosis of democratic life demands a fresh hearing. 🔗 loom.ly/C_CG3f8

Some additional recommendations on the economics of socialism and the capitalist alternatives. "The Socialist Calculation Debate" by @PeterBoettke, Rosolino Candela, & Tegan Truitt mercatus.org/hayekprogram/re… "National Economic Planning: What is Left?" by Don Lavoie mercatus.org/hayekprogram/re…. "Capitalist Alternatives" by Paul Dragos Aligica & @vladtarko mercatus.org/hayekprogram/re… "Politics as a Peculiar Business" by Richard E. Wagner mercatus.org/hayekprogram/re…

📚 Coming July 29: "The Routledge Handbook of Classical Liberalism," edited by @RichardAEpstein , Mario Rizzo, and @MissLiyaP. Bringing together leading scholars, this new handbook offers a comprehensive examination of classical liberalism—its core principles, enduring arguments, and relevance to today's most pressing policy challenges. From public health and healthcare to technology, policing, taxation, constitutional design, and beyond, the volume demonstrates how classical liberal thought provides a coherent framework for understanding a wide range of contemporary issues. Whether you're a student, researcher, policymaker, or simply interested in political economy, law, or public policy, this handbook is an essential new resource. Click here to pre-order! loom.ly/0AW4Lfw

The fellowship's classroom experience proved transformative, they didn't just teach economics; they modeled intellectual honesty and the willingness to question assumptions. MA Alum @JoshLoucks27 shares his Mercatus Fellowship Story. loom.ly/cDxMnFA