Every year the Duke/UNC PPE program brings together about 20 outstanding PPE students from across the country to discuss a core topic with moral, economic, and political dimensions. Past topics have included Crime and Punishment, Equality, and Libertarian Paternalism. This year our theme was Collective Action. The readings focused on how to model collective action problems, and how to think about whether social norms or legal sanctions can help solve particular collective action problems like preserving environmental resources. The event was organized by Jonathan Anomaly, and featured four sessions, each led by a different faculty member. At each session, students explored various aspects of collective action, and we continued the conversations throughout the weekend at lunches and dinners held in Chapel Hill. The papers we read included a classic book excerpt from Mancur Olson, and contemporary articles by Carol Rose, Elinor Ostrom, and David Schmidtz.
“I had an incredible time and became friends with an amazing group. I hope this gathering continues to be a tradition for future PPE students, because it’s been a highlight of my time at Notre Dame.”
“This was an amazing opportunity for students from all over the country to come together and share their perspectives on issues we have been studying for years. It allowed us to break out of our university’s environment and culture.”
“It was an honor to attend an event where so many bright, engaged and driven students come together to discuss our world’s problems”
“The PPE colloquium was a great opportunity to give these nuanced subjects the close attention and careful analysis they deserve.”