Overview

The economics department at Florida State University is the largest economics department in the State University System of Florida, and is the only one to be rated as "exemplary" by the most recent BOR state-wide review.  The department specializes in several fields of applied microeconomics, public choice, and more recently, experimental economics.  There are 3 eminent scholars in the department, each with ties to interdisciplinary research centers.  The department admits a relatively small number of doctoral students each year, the majority of which are on departmental funding, with the focus on mentoring students through the transition from student to researcher. Our faculty work closely with our students and often produce co-authored publications. The majority of our students spend at least some time as research assistants supported by funding provided by one of the research centers, and our most promising students frequently choose to work with one of our eminent scholars as their dissertation supervisor.

Research Centers

• DeVoe L. Moore and Family Center for the Study of Critical Issues in Economic Policy and Government

  The DeVoe Moore Center emphasizes the study of how government rules, regulations, and programs affect the economy and individuals. Bringing the insights of economics, political science, and public administration to the study of state and local regulations is a major focus of the Center's efforts.
  

  Faculty

  • Bruce Benson
  • Ron Cheung
  • James Gwartney
  • Randall Holcombe
  • Keith Ihlanfeldt (Director and Devoe-Moore Eminent Scholar)
  • David Rasmussen

  Faculty Affiliates

  • Greg Burge
  • Robert Lawson
  • Tim Sass
  
  

• Experimental Social Science Research Group

  The XS/FS Research Group consists of a diverse group of scholars at Florida State University who use experimental methods to engage in research on a wide range of topics in the Social Sciences. Topics range from how one might design charity silent auctions to an examination of preferences for voting on redistributive taxation policies to investigations on how information is transmitted through different structures for social networks.
  

  Faculty

  • David Cooper
  • John Hamman
  • Mark Isaac (Director and Quinn Eminent Scholar)
  • John Lightle
  • Svetlana Pevnitskaya
  • Dmitry Ryvkin
  • Tim Salmon
  • Danila Serra
  
  

• Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy

  The Pepper Institute is concerned with the study of retirement, pensions, inequality, long term care, assisted living, technology and aging, dementia and care-giving, education and achievement, well-being, life satisfaction, the impact of Alzheimer’s Disease on families and communities, intergenerational relations, Social Security and health and aging.
  

  Faculty

  • Farasat Bokhari
  • Gary Fournier
  
  

• Population Center

  The mission of the Center for Demography and Population Health is to coordinate and conduct demographic and population health research and training throughout the university by bringing together faculty and students from various academic departments and programs who are working in these areas.
  

  Faculty

  • Heinrich Hock
  • Carl Schmertmann

  Faculty Affiliates

  • Farasat Bokari
  • James Cobbe
  • Frank Heiland
  • David Rasmussen
  
  

• Stavros Center for the Advancement of Free Enterprise and Economic Education

  The Stavros Center is a member of the National Council on Economic Education, and as a Council member, assumes responsibility for furthering economic education both in schools and among community groups in its service area. The Center is also involved in research on the measurement of economic freedom and the analysis of how economic freedom affects income, growth, and other dimensions of economic performance.
  

  Faculty

  • Joseph Calhoun
  • James Gwartney (Director and Stavros Eminent Scholar)
  
  

• Study of Political Economy and Free Enterprise

  The Study of Political Economy and Free Enterprise (SPEFE) focuses on research designed to enhance the understanding of the institutions and policies supportive of free enterprise. Faculty members in this program will be expected to contribute to the professional research on political economy and the importance of the institutional infrastructure for the efficient operation of economies. Areas of focus include law and economics, public choice, economic development, industrial organization and regulation, and the new institutional economics.
  

  Faculty

  • Bruce Benson
  • James Gwartney
  • Randall Holcombe
  • Mark Isaac
  • Danila Serra
  • Shi Qi
  • Three more SPEFE faculty are expected to be hired over the next two to three years.
  
  

  Student Affiliates

  • Two 4-year Charles G. Koch Graduate Fellowships and one 4-year BB&T Dissertation Fellowship are available to fund PhD students affiliated with SPEFE. These students will have limited work requirements, but will be assigned as TAs or RAs for SPEFE or EEE faculty.
  • Two one-year BB&T Dissertation Fellowship are also available annually to support PhD students working with SPEFE faculty.