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The Bucharest Workshop in Mainline Political Economy
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The Bucharest Workshop in Mainline Political Economy
The Bucharest Workshop in Mainline Political Economy brings together scholars in the fields of public administration, political science, economics, or related disciplines. The workshop focuses on exploring how the ideas in the Mainline Political Economy tradition are applied in public governance, commons management, political theory, and public policies.
The workshop brings together scholars presenting work in the tradition of Friedrich Hayek, James Buchanan, Elinor Ostrom, or Vincent Ostrom, together with their theoretical or empirical applications to the broader field of public administration and contemporary governance challenges.
Edition II · 2026 — Decentralization, Self-Governance and Polycentric Public Administration
Edition II · 2026
Decentralization, Self-Governance and Polycentric Public Administration
Building on the Mainline Political Economy tradition, this year’s theme centers on decentralization as an institutional principle, self-governance as a normative and practical framework, and polycentricity as a model for organizing authority in complex societies. We aim to examine and discuss how dispersed knowledge, institutional diversity, and bottom-up coordination mechanisms can enhance resilience, accountability, and democratic legitimacy in public administration.
The workshop seeks to explore both foundational theory and applied research. Contributions may address topics such as constitutional political economy, fiscal federalism, metropolitan governance, commons governance, regulatory competition, institutional analysis and development, or networked forms of public service delivery.
Key information
- Dates: June 9–10, 2026
- Venue: SNSPA Headquarters, Room 804
- Annual academic workshop
- International participation
- Keynote lectures, panels and academic discussions
Programme structure
- Keynote lectures
- International thematic panels
- Paper presentations lasting 25–30 minutes
- Q&A sessions
- Book panel dedicated to Foucault and Liberal Political Economy
Keynote Speakers & Book Panel
Peter Boettke
George Mason University (USA)
F. A. Hayek Program, Mercatus Center
Vlad Tarko
University of Arizona (USA)
Political Economy and Moral Science
Dan Greenwood
University of Westminster (UK)
Political Economy and Public Policy
King’s College London (UK)
Book panel: Foucault and Liberal Political Economy (2025)
Mark Pennington has been Professor of Political Economy and Public Policy in the Department of Political Economy since January 2012 and was Head of Department between 2016 and 2020. He is currently director of the Centre for the Study of Governance and Society.
Edition I · 2025 — Mainline Political Economy and Public Administration
Edition I · 2025
Mainline Political Economy and Public Administration
From May 14–16, 2025, the Faculty of Public Administration at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration organized the inaugural Bucharest Workshop in Mainline Political Economy. We invited scholars to be part of a workshop focused on exploring how the ideas in the MPE tradition are applied in public governance, commons management, political theory, and public policies.
The event took place at the SNSPA Headquarters in Bucharest, 30A Expoziției Boulevard, 8th Floor, Room 804. Participants presented work in the tradition of Friedrich Hayek, James Buchanan, Elinor Ostrom, or Vincent Ostrom, followed by discussion and Q&A sessions.
Organisational information
- Dates: May 14–16, 2025
- Venue: SNSPA Headquarters, Room 804
- Inaugural BWMPE edition
- Three-day programme
- Keynote lectures and academic panels
Research areas
- Public governance and political economy
- Commons management
- Institutional analysis
- Political theory and public policies
- Austrian economics and public choice
Keynote Speakers
Adrian Miroiu
ADRIAN MIROIU is a professor of political science at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration and a member of the Romanian Academy. He has published in the fields of theoretical philosophy, political theory and social choice, and has also contributed to higher education policy and scientometrics.
Dragoș Paul Aligică
PAUL DRAGOS ALIGICA is a Senior Research Fellow in the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center, George Mason University, and a Professor at the University of Bucharest. He is a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy and author of numerous books and academic articles on institutional theory, political economy, social theory, and political philosophy.
Erwin Dekker
ERWIN DEKKER is a Senior Research Fellow in the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He has published in journals in the history of economics, methodology and philosophy of economics, political economy, and economic sociology.
Irene Perez-Ibarra
IRENE PEREZ IBARRA is an Associate Professor at the Department of Agricultural Sciences and the Environment, University of Zaragoza, and Co-PI of the Social-Ecological Systems Research Group at the Agrifood Institute of Aragon. She specializes in social-ecological research, focusing on governance and resilience.
Rosolino Candela
ROSOLINO CANDELA is a Senior Fellow of the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and Program Director of Academic & Student Programs at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. His research focuses on Austrian economics, public choice and political economy.