Johnson Center: Past, Present, and Future History & Vision: In less than three years, the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy has grown from an idea into a vibrant academic hub of teaching, learning, debate and research. Driven by a commitment to advancing free societies, Troy University Alumnus, Manuel H. Johnson, joined with BB&T Charitable Foundation and the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation to provide the initial funding to launch the Johnson Center in 2010.
Built on the principle that liberty is valuable in its own right and plays a crucial role in economic development, the Center’s mission is to explore economic freedom and the role freedom plays in promoting prosperity and human well-being. To advance this goal, the Center provides an education program focused on the moral imperatives of free markets and individual liberty. Its faculty and staff are committed to research and teaching that advances these ideas both within the Center and beyond. Under the leadership of Executive Director Dr. Scott Beaulier, the Johnson Center has burgeoned into a dynamic and robust academic center both on-campus and beyond.
Accomplishments: Expanded Academic Offerings: • This year, Troy University rolled-out a new economics major, which includes a Financial Economics concentration. • Course on the morality of capitalism • Courses in Austrian Economics, Entrepreneurial Economics, and Public Choice are being added to the catalogue. • A Masters of Arts in Economics is currently being considered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE).
Scholars: The Johnson Center faculty now includes eight top-notch Ph.D. economists: • Dr. Scott A. Beaulier, Executive Director & Adams-Bibby Chair of Free Enterprise • Dr. George R. Crowley, Assistant Professor of Economics • Dr. John A. Dove, Assistant Professor of Economics • Dr. Thomas L. Hogan, Assistant Professor of Finance • Dr. G. P. Manish, Assistant Professor of Economics • Dr. Malavika Nair, Assistant Professor of Economics • Dr. Daniel J. Smith, Assistant Professor of Economics • Dr. Daniel Sutter, Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics
Students: • Since the creation of the Economics major in August 2013, the Johnson Center student body has grown from zero Economics majors to 25. These students bring energy and enthusiasm that foster vibrant discussion and a diverse exchange of ideas.
Research: Johnson Center scholars have authored papers that have attracted national attention. • “Response and Recovery after the Joplin Tornado: Lessons Applied and Lessons Learned,” by Professors Daniel J. Smith and Dan Sutter received coverage from the Wall Street Journal among many other media outlets across the country. • “From Defined Benefit to Defined Contribution” by Executive Director, Scott Beaulier, received coverage from Bloomberg News, the San Francisco Chonicle among other media outlets.
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• “Credible Commitments and Constitutional Constraints,” by Professor John Dove addresses municipal debts and bankruptcies. The piece has been mentioned by the Wall Street Journal and the Birmingham News.
Speakers and Events: The Johnson Center’s mission and work have attracted visits from some of the nation’s top scholars and opinion leaders including: • Stephen Moore, Wall Street Journal • John Stossel, Fox Business • Dr. Arthur Brooks, American Enterprise Institute • Erick Erickson, RedState.com
Initiatives: • Great Books Reading Group • M. Stanton Evans Journalism Symposium (We support this series by attracting a major speaker— Steve Moore, Stossel, etc—and we’d love to leverage it as something a donor could be a part of) • Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics honors society) • Students for Liberty Club • Weekend Seminars
Change must involve all of us—ordinary citizens, business leaders, academics, alumni and students. We hope you will join us.
Who We Are: Leadership: Dr. Scott A. Beaulier, Executive Director & Adams-Bibby Chair of Free Enterprise
Media: The Johnson Center scholars have been tapped by state and national media to provide expert insight on some of the most important issues affecting our nation. Additionally, Johnson Center professors have authored op-eds published by leading outlets including the Wall Street Journal and Investor’s Business Daily. Executive Director Scott Beaulier isn’t afraid to offer a free-market perspective on hot button issues in his Birmingham News/Al.com column and Dr. Daniel Sutter, Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics, shares his knowledge with the town through his Troy Messenger columns.
What next: • “Freeing the Invisible Hand: How to Make Alabama Freer and More Prosperous”Coming in January 2014, the Johnson Center will release a volume of original research that contains specific policy reform proposals for promoting prosperity in Alabama. The authors discuss current inefficiencies in Alabama policies and argue for policies that make Alabama more attractive for business and long-run economic growth.Free Enterprise MA in Economics Coming in Fall 2015. Pending ACHE’s approval, we will begin offering a terminal Masters degree in Fall 2015. Our program will seek to prepare students for PhD programs in Economics, and it’s emphasis on free enterprise will reflect the core values of Johnson Center faculty. • More good state and national level policy work. Johnson Center scholars are continuing their work to shape the policy debate at the state and national level. Scott Beaulier, for example, will have work coming out in 2014 that helps guide Pennsylvania policymakers as they pursue pension reform at the state level. Dan Sutter’s work on the carbon tax, meanwhile, will be part of the national conversation on the balance between environmental quality and economic growth.
Why Support the Johnson Center: Our country is in crisis. Decades of overspending, growth in regulations, cronyism and the steady expansion of government have eroded personal liberty and economic freedom. Our children stand to inherit crushing debt and an America with far less opportunity than generations before them enjoyed. It is more important than ever to understand and promote policies that support long-term prosperity and flourishing. At the Johnson Center, we are playing our part in working from change through scholarly research and educations. Addressing America’s problems cannot wait much longer, and significant change is needed in the policy arena. We are dedicated to teaching both our students and the public about the benefits of a free society and how we get there.
Staff: Dr. George R. Crowley, Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. John A. Dove, Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. Thomas L. Hogan, Assistant Professor of Finance Dr. G. P. Manish, Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. Malavika Nair, Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. Daniel J. Smith, Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. Daniel Sutter, Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics