Charles Raymond Plott (born July 8, 1938) is an American economist.
Applications are found in mechanisms for allocating complex items such as the markets for pollution permits in Southern California, the FCC auction of licenses for Personal Communication Systems, the auctions for electric power in California, the allocation of landing rights at the major U.S. airports, access of private trains to public railway tracks, access to natural gas pipelines, the allocation of licenses for offshore aquaculture sites, the combinatorial sale of fleets of vehicles, and the application of complex procurements.
Plott has contributed extensively to the development and application of a laboratory experimental methodology in the fields of economics and political science.
Plott's professional appointments include: National Research Council's Committee on Proposed Revisions to the Common Rule in Relation to Behavioral and Social Sciences; Economic Theory - Member, Editorial Board; Chairman, California Institute of Technology Institutional Review Board, National Research Council's Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education – Board on Behavioral, cognitive, and Sensory Sciences; The Lee Center for Advanced Networking, as well as others.
2002 Nobel Laureate Vernon L. Smith lauded Plott in his speech of thanks at the Nobel Banquet, December 10, 2002 with a toast to "The pioneering influence of Sidney Siegel, Amos Tversky, Martin Shubik, and Charles Plott on the intellectual movement that culminated in the economics award for 2002.