Michael Munger

Michael Curtis Munger is an economist and a former director of undergraduate studies, political science, public policy, and economics department at Duke University. He is a prolific writer, and his book “Analyzing Policy: Choices, Conflicts, and Practices” is now a standard work in the field of policy analysis. Also, he was the Libertarian candidate for Governor of North Carolina in 2008.

After graduating from the University of Washington, Munger worked as a staff economist at the Federal Trade Commission. His first teaching job was in the Economics Department at Dartmouth College, followed by appointments in the Political Science Department at the University of Texas at Austin (1986-1990) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1990-1997). At UNC, he directed the MPA Program, which trains public service professionals, especially in city and county management. He moved to Duke in 1997 and was Chair of the Political Science Department from 2000 through 2010.

In addition to more than 200 articles and papers published in professional journals and edited volumes, Prof. Munger has written seven books, three of them in collaboration with the late Dr. Melvin Hinich. Munger’s recent books include “Choosing in Groups” and “The Thing Itself.” His research interests include the study of the morality of exchange and the working of the new Middleman Economy.  

Michael holds a B.A. in economics from Davidson Colledge, an M.A, and Ph.D. in economics from Washington University in St. Louris.