Editorial Foreword

I am honored to introduce this year’s edition of The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Review. This volume marks the second in the journal’s history, and I am proud to say that through the hard work of our faculty, student editors, and especially the authors, we have curated a journal volume that serves as a worthy follow-up to the first edition. Every iteration of the PPER builds upon the last, following the academic model that produces knowledge based on a continuous chain of scholarly work that builds upon the existing canon while pushing the envelope forward. It is only through this process that new knowledge is generated.

I would like to extend my eternal gratitude to my faculty mentor, Dr. Gil Hersch, for his continuous support and guidance throughout this entire process. I would also like to thank Dr. Michael Moehler for his passion and commitment to making the journal a continued success. Additionally, I would like to thank the entire faculty and student PPER editorial team for their focused efforts in developing positive working relationships with the authors.

This journal volume consists of five papers written by authors who studied for their undergraduate degrees at Pomona College, Mount Holyoke College, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and our own institution, Virginia Tech. We are proud of the journal’s reach across different PPE Programs worldwide and believe that this volume showcases the versatility of PPE, as the papers range in topics from the application of game theory to social cooperation, lethal injection drugs, the Chinese government’s regulation of reality shows, consent within the market for sex work, and corruption tolerance in Ecuador. The diverse methodologies and viewpoints contained within the journal demonstrate the value of PPE within the 21st Century as a tool of both analysis and change.

The PPER believes, at its core, that the work of undergraduate students is valuable and deserving of discussion. Selection in the journal indicates not only the author’s excellence in research, but the value that the author’s work has in a larger ongoing conversation on these topics. Submitting your work and allowing it to be published comes with both vulnerability and acceptance of the unknown, and the PPER appreciates the trust that the authors have placed in us.

The selection of works included in this volume demonstrates not only the wide variety of topics that the field of PPE encapsulates, but also the array of issues that current PPE students consider to be important. In this sense, readers of this volume will be drawn into the PPE classroom, experiencing both PPE’s global perspective and the tight bonds that link the PPE community. I hope that readers lingering in the doorframe will feel welcome enough to step into the classroom and join the conversation.

Megan L. Schaefer