The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is the premier research center advancing classical liberal ideas and cultivating the talent to apply them. We support entrepreneurial scholars and practitioners who turn market-oriented thinking into practical solutions that shape institutions and improve lives.
A society where empowered individuals drive innovation, lead vibrant communities, and live flourishing lives, because academic, policy, and civic institutions are fueled by high-agency talent committed to freedom and prosperity.
We build and maintain a vibrant community of in-house and external scholars dedicated to market-oriented thinking and classical liberal principles. We mentor and train up-and-coming scholars and thinkers who will generate ideas and influence society’s key institutions.
We bridge the gap between theory and practice through research of consequence and talent cultivation. We stand at the forefront of shaping future leaders who not only imagine a freer, more prosperous world but have the skills, platforms, and partnerships to make it real.
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is committed to high standards of quality and credibility for its research products. We uphold these standards through internal review, rigorous editing, and a transparent process for selecting and producing research products.
Discover your career at Mercatus. Join a mission-driven, collaborative team working to advance a freer and more prosperous society through research and talent development.
Founded in 1980, the Mercatus Center is located on George Mason University’s Arlington and Fairfax campuses. As part of Virginia’s largest public research university, we support students in George Mason University’s world-renowned department of economics. Former Mercatus-supported students are among the most innovative scholars working in the social sciences today.
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The Mercatus Center is a research center affiliated with George Mason University, dedicated to bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Mercatus is a Latin word for “market.” It is pronounced mer-KAY-tus.
The Mercatus Center is led by a faculty director who is appointed by the provost of George Mason University. Tyler Cowen, a professor of economics at George Mason University, is the current faculty director of the Mercatus Center.
The Mercatus Center supports graduate students interested in understanding social change and in applying economics to solve problems in the world. Our graduate fellows work closely with Mercatus scholars, enjoy access to our rich network of affiliated faculty, participate in sponsored conferences, seminars, workshops, and reading groups, and become actively involved in a learning environment where they can grow as scholars as well as policy analysts.
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization and is supported by foundations (58%), individuals (40%), and businesses (2%) from around the country. The Mercatus Center does not receive financial support from George Mason University or any federal, state, or local government.
Visit our donation page to learn about the many ways to support the Mercatus Center.
The Mercatus Center relies on the generosity of supporters who value economic research that speaks to real-world problems.
The Mercatus Center brings good ideas from scholars around the world to people in government. More than 30% of our budget supports George Mason University professors and the graduate students who have the potential to become tomorrow’s economics professors and policy experts.Your generosity today can help the Mercatus Center work to bring about a freer, more prosperous, and more peaceful society. Your support will help us inject sound economic thinking into policy debates at both the federal and state levels.
No. Mercatus scholars independently pursue research agendas aligned with our mission. We do not conduct research for hire or accept financial support conditioned on specific research outcomes.
Financial supporters have no influence over research design, methodology, findings, or conclusions. We maintain the highest standards of academic quality through internal review, editorial oversight, and transparent research selection.
We also have a formal policy to avoid conflicts of interest and to preserve the academic integrity and credibility of our work.
The Mercatus Center is one of over 90 centers at George Mason University and is led by a faculty director who reports to the provost. As an independent 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, the Mercatus Center does not receive any financial support from George Mason University or the Commonwealth of Virginia. Throughout its 40 years at George Mason University, Mercatus has helped attract more than a dozen faculty members, including two economists who received the Nobel Prize in Economics while at Mason.
