DESCRIPTION: Founded in 1986 by the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, the Maryland Collective Choice Center sponsors interdisciplinary activities such as seminars, conferences, and workshops.  Collective choice is known as formal theory in the department of Government and Politics (see the separate description there).  The theories  use models of individual rational choice behavior to study non-market social phenomena.  These theories are deductive and exploit tools from both economic and game theories.  The Center fosters interdisciplinary efforts between the programs in economics and political science.  Graduate courses are coordinated between departments; special arrangements are made for interdisciplinary workshops; and a set of faculty members from both Economics and Government and Politics work together on all aspects of student education and training.  A computer based experimental laboratory, for both teaching and research in experimental game theory and collective choice is available.