# Gordon Tullock and James Buchanan: The Calculus of Consent After 25 Years **URL:** **By** Gordon Tullock, James M. Buchanan **Published:** March 7, 1987 --- Gordon Tullock is an economist and professor emeritus of Law and Economics at George Mason University, and is best known for his work on public choice theory. James Buchanan is a Nobel Prize winning economist who is also widely recognized for his work in the field of public choice theory and constitutional economics. Tullock and Buchanan co-authored _The Calculus of Consent: Logical Foundations of Constitutional Democracy_ in 1962. In it, they laid the groundwork for what is today known as public choice theory -- the application of economic thinking to political issues. In this lecture, given to mark their book's 25th anniversary in 1987, Tullock and Buchanan talk about the impact of _The_ _Calculus of Consent_ on political and economic academia. Richard E. Wagner, currently the director of economics graduate programs at George Mason University, also comments.