Public Choice (2012) 152:245–252 DOI 10.1007/s11127-012-9988-y Towards a (re-)integration of the social sciences: The Calculus of Consent at 50 Georg Vanberg · Viktor Vanberg © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012 The publication of The Calculus of Consent in 1962 marks a watershed moment in the emer- gence of public choice theory and, more specifically, the constitutional political economy research program. Over the last 50 years, the book has had a remarkable impact not only in economics but also in the neighboring social sciences, philosophy, and law. The contri- butions collected in this volume reflect the breadth of fields within which The Calculus has served as a challenge to established doctrine, and as an inspiration for new avenues of in- quiry. The authors, representing a multitude of disciplinary, geographical, and generational backgrounds, reflect on the contributions of The Calculus on the occasion of this anniver- sary in a variety of ways. Some recall how encountering The Calculus shaped their scholarly interests and research orientation. Others report on the book’s impact on academic discourse in their field or in their home country. Finally, a number of essays address specific aspects of The Calculus that have attracted attention over the years, or that offer opportunities for further research. Perhaps the most well known contribution of The Calculus is the model of constitutional choice developed in the sixth chapter. Undoubtedly, this model represents a significant the- oretical achievement. Yet, as the range of themes addressed in the essays collected here demonstrates, the significance of The Calculus extends well beyond its specific contribu- tion to analyzing the choice among alternative political decision rules. As we will argue, the more general and lasting impact of the book may come from advancing a theoretical (re)integration of the social sciences that questions disciplinary fragmentation, and rein- vigorates the field of political economy as originally understood. The opening paragraph of G. Vanberg ( ) University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA e-mail: gvanberg@unc.edu V. Vanberg University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany V. Vanberg Walter Eucken Institut, Freiburg, Germany