ACRE Undergraduate Reading Groups
ACRE reading groups consist of weekly meetings lead by ACRE-affiliated 网曝门 professors. Students may apply to both reading groups, but are only eligible to participate in one group per semester. Students who fully participate over the course of the program will be awarded a $400 Scholarship. Students who do not actively participate each week, are consistently tardy, or are absent without legitimate reason will be ineligible for the scholarship. Books, meals and other materials are also provided at no charge.
Fall 2026 Reading Groups聽
The Arkansas Center for Research in Economics invites applications from UCA students of any major for its two Fall 2026 reading group programs. Program descriptions are provided below, followed by the reading group application.
“The 250th Anniversary of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations”听
Economics Reading Group
In celebration of its 250th anniversary, the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics is pleased to offer an undergraduate economics reading group examining the lasting impact of Adam Smith鈥檚 foundational text, The Wealth of Nations. As the cornerstone of modern economic thought, Smith鈥檚 work remains central to discussions on free markets, individual prosperity, and state intervention.
Participants will study key excerpts from Smith鈥檚 original writings alongside contemporary policy pieces to see how his 18th-century theories apply to current economic challenges. Readings will guide discussions on core themes such as the division of labor, self-interest, market dynamics, and the institutional drivers of growth. Throughout the term, participants will unpack what Smith really meant by the “invisible hand,” evaluate the conditions under which markets foster widespread prosperity, and consider the appropriate boundaries of government involvement. By bridging classical texts with modern policy debates, the group will examine how Smithian insights directly apply to today’s most pressing issues, including globalization, income inequality, and regulation.
Students selected for this reading group will also attend a weekend summit at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, on October 31, where they will collaborate with peers from Baylor, Texas Tech, and SMU who have read the same texts. Attendance at the SMU summit is a required component of the program.
Facilitated by Dr. Collin Hodges, the group will meet on Monday evenings from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, beginning September 8, 2026. Dinners provided.
“Four Legs Good, Free Markets Better? The Political Economy of Animal Farm”
Philosophy Reading Group
鈥淔our Legs Good, Free Markets Better? The Political Economy of Animal Farm鈥�聽uses George Orwell鈥檚 allegory as a vehicle to explore modern political economy through primary texts. Beginning with the ethical foundations of Marxism, we will pair early chapters of聽Animal Farm聽with Karl Marx鈥檚 “Paris Notebooks,” “The Production of Surplus Value,” and聽The Communist Manifesto. We will then examine revolution, propaganda, and state control by contrasting Orwell’s story with V.I. Lenin鈥檚聽The State and Revolution, Harry Frankfurt鈥檚 “On Bullshit,” and F.A. Hayek鈥檚聽The Road to Serfdom. In addition, we will study labor under capitalism via Erich Fromm and Adam Smith鈥檚聽Wealth of Nations, the socialist calculation debate through Smith’s聽Theory of Moral Sentiments聽and Hayek鈥檚聽Individualism and Economic Order, and economic liberty via Milton Friedman鈥檚聽Capitalism and Freedom. Finally, we will conclude with discussions on individual agency and personal choice by examining J.S. Mill鈥檚聽On Liberty聽and Isaiah Berlin鈥檚 “Two Concepts of Liberty”.
This reading group is facilitated by Dr. Jacob Held and will meet on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 – 7:30 PM, beginning September 9, 2026.
Want to check out our past reading group topics? Click here!聽Or watch the below video to get an idea of what an ACRE reading group could be like for you.