diff --git a/pyomo/core/base/component.py b/pyomo/core/base/component.py
index 9cf0bf0527f..220927f1004 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/base/component.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/base/component.py
@@ -1050,7 +1050,7 @@ def __repr__(self):
         return a
 
     def __getstate__(self):
-        return dict((x,getattr(self,x)) for x in ComponentUID.__slots__)
+        return {x:getattr(self, x) for x in ComponentUID.__slots__}
 
     def __setstate__(self, state):
         for key, val in iteritems(state):
diff --git a/pyomo/core/base/expression.py b/pyomo/core/base/expression.py
index fc62438ce17..456c287fffb 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/base/expression.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/base/expression.py
@@ -329,8 +329,8 @@ def display(self, prefix="", ostream=None):
     # expensive to extract the contents of an expression.
     #
     def extract_values(self):
-        return dict((key, expression_data.expr) \
-                    for key, expression_data in iteritems(self))
+        return {key:expression_data.expr
+                for key, expression_data in iteritems(self)}
 
     #
     # takes as input a (index, value) dictionary for updating this
diff --git a/pyomo/core/base/indexed_component_slice.py b/pyomo/core/base/indexed_component_slice.py
index f6dfee859b0..5c7d99e9ae1 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/base/indexed_component_slice.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/base/indexed_component_slice.py
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@ def __getstate__(self):
         "blanket" implementation of :py:meth:`__getattr__`, we need to
         explicitly implement these to avoid "accidentally" extending or
         evaluating this slice."""
-        return dict(
-            (k,getattr(self,k)) for k in self.__dict__)
+        return {k:getattr(self,k) for k in self.__dict__}
 
     def __setstate__(self, state):
         """Deserialize the state into this object. """
diff --git a/pyomo/core/base/label.py b/pyomo/core/base/label.py
index f9832470f27..c3a47642f88 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/base/label.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/base/label.py
@@ -39,9 +39,8 @@ def __init__(self, preserve, translate, other):
            other: the character to return for all characters not in
                   preserve or translate
         """
-        self.table = dict(
-            (k if isinstance(k, int) else ord(k), v)
-            for k,v in six.iteritems(dict(translate)) )
+        self.table = {k if isinstance(k, int) else ord(k): v
+            for k,v in six.iteritems(dict(translate)) }
         for c in preserve:
             _c = ord(c)
             if _c in self.table and self.table[_c] != c:
diff --git a/pyomo/core/base/param.py b/pyomo/core/base/param.py
index 5c9a943642b..4023767ae42 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/base/param.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/base/param.py
@@ -305,10 +305,7 @@ def extract_values(self):
             # Thus, we need to create a temporary dictionary that contains the
             # values from the ParamData objects.
             #
-            ans = {}
-            for key, param_value in self.iteritems():
-                ans[key] = param_value()
-            return ans
+            return {key:param_value() for key,param_value in self.iteritems()}
         elif not self.is_indexed():
             #
             # The parameter is a scalar, so we need to create a temporary
diff --git a/pyomo/core/base/piecewise.py b/pyomo/core/base/piecewise.py
index 08abc8fcddd..59a12aba9df 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/base/piecewise.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/base/piecewise.py
@@ -580,14 +580,14 @@ def _Branching_Scheme(self,n):
         S = range(1,n+1)
         # turn the GrayCode into a dictionary indexed
         # starting at 1
-        G = dict(enumerate(_GrayCode(n),start=1))
+        G = {k:v for k,v in enumerate(_GrayCode(n),start=1)}
 
-        L = dict((s,[k+1 for k in xrange(BIGL+1) \
+        L = {s:[k+1 for k in xrange(BIGL+1) \
                          if ((k == 0) or (G[k][s-1] == 1)) \
-                         and ((k == BIGL) or (G[k+1][s-1] == 1))]) for s in S)
-        R = dict((s,[k+1 for k in xrange(BIGL+1) \
+                         and ((k == BIGL) or (G[k+1][s-1] == 1))] for s in S}
+        R = {s:[k+1 for k in xrange(BIGL+1) \
                          if ((k == 0) or (G[k][s-1] == 0)) \
-                         and ((k == BIGL) or (G[k+1][s-1] == 0))]) for s in S)
+                         and ((k == BIGL) or (G[k+1][s-1] == 0))] for s in S}
 
         return S,L,R
 
@@ -662,9 +662,9 @@ def construct(self,pblock,x_var,y_var):
         polytopes = range(1,len_x_pts)
 
         # create constants (using future division)
-        SLOPE = dict((p,(y_pts[p]-y_pts[p-1])/(x_pts[p]-x_pts[p-1])) \
-                         for p in polytopes)
-        INTERSEPT = dict((p,y_pts[p-1] - (SLOPE[p]*x_pts[p-1])) for p in polytopes)
+        SLOPE = {p:(y_pts[p]-y_pts[p-1])/(x_pts[p]-x_pts[p-1])
+                 for p in polytopes}
+        INTERSEPT = {p:y_pts[p-1] - (SLOPE[p]*x_pts[p-1]) for p in polytopes}
 
         # create vars
         pblock.MC_poly_x = Var(polytopes)
diff --git a/pyomo/core/base/set.py b/pyomo/core/base/set.py
index c2b0fb1e3f4..24098f796c0 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/base/set.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/base/set.py
@@ -1365,8 +1365,7 @@ def sorted_data(self):
     def _sort(self):
         self._ordered_values = list(self.parent_component()._sort_fcn(
             self._ordered_values))
-        self._values = dict(
-            (j, i) for i, j in enumerate(self._ordered_values) )
+        self._values = {j:i for i, j in enumerate(self._ordered_values)}
         self._is_sorted = True
 
 
diff --git a/pyomo/core/base/sets.py b/pyomo/core/base/sets.py
index 1f6a0327d15..fa0c79802e3 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/base/sets.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/base/sets.py
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ def _sort(self):
             self.value_list,
             key=None if _sorter is Set.SortedOrder else _sorter
         )
-        self.order_dict = dict((j,i) for i,j in enumerate(self.value_list))
+        self.order_dict = {j:i for i,j in enumerate(self.value_list)}
         self._is_sorted = 1
 
     def _clear(self):
diff --git a/pyomo/core/base/util.py b/pyomo/core/base/util.py
index 85160834b04..516a744c003 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/base/util.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/base/util.py
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ class InitializerBase(object):
     verified = False
 
     def __getstate__(self):
-        return dict((k, getattr(self,k)) for k in self.__slots__)
+        return {k:getattr(self,k) for k in self.__slots__}
 
     def __setstate__(self, state):
         for key, val in iteritems(state):
diff --git a/pyomo/core/base/var.py b/pyomo/core/base/var.py
index 0602c717191..82e5c788c20 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/base/var.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/base/var.py
@@ -551,11 +551,10 @@ def get_values(self, include_fixed_values=True):
         Return a dictionary of index-value pairs.
         """
         if include_fixed_values:
-            return dict((idx, vardata.value)
-                            for idx, vardata in iteritems(self._data))
-        return dict((idx, vardata.value)
+            return {idx:vardata.value for idx,vardata in iteritems(self._data)}
+        return {idx:vardata.value
                             for idx, vardata in iteritems(self._data)
-                                                if not vardata.fixed)
+                                                if not vardata.fixed}
 
     extract_values = get_values
 
diff --git a/pyomo/core/expr/calculus/diff_with_sympy.py b/pyomo/core/expr/calculus/diff_with_sympy.py
index 300e0bc3d75..3e290da8db8 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/expr/calculus/diff_with_sympy.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/expr/calculus/diff_with_sympy.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def differentiate(expr, wrt=None, wrt_list=None):
     # appear in the expression (so that we can detect wrt combinations
     # that are, by definition, 0)
     #
-    partial_derivs = dict((x,None) for x in objectMap.sympyVars())
+    partial_derivs = {x:None for x in objectMap.sympyVars()}
     #
     # Setup the WRT list
     #
diff --git a/pyomo/core/expr/symbol_map.py b/pyomo/core/expr/symbol_map.py
index df12b2a4901..8f73181e981 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/expr/symbol_map.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/expr/symbol_map.py
@@ -58,12 +58,9 @@ def __getstate__(self):
         }
 
     def __setstate__(self, state):
-        self.byObject = dict(
-            (id(obj), key) for key, obj  in state['bySymbol'] )
-        self.bySymbol = dict(
-            (key, weakref_ref(obj)) for key, obj in state['bySymbol'] )
-        self.aliases = dict(
-            (key, weakref_ref(obj)) for key, obj in state['aliases'] )
+        self.byObject = {id(obj):key for key, obj  in state['bySymbol']}
+        self.bySymbol = {key:weakref_ref(obj) for key,obj in state['bySymbol']}
+        self.aliases = {key:weakref_ref(obj) for key, obj in state['aliases']}
 
     def addSymbol(self, obj, symb):
         """
@@ -78,7 +75,7 @@ def addSymbols(self, obj_symbol_tuples):
 
         This method assumes that symbol names will not conflict.
         """
-        tuples = list((obj, symb) for obj,symb in obj_symbol_tuples)
+        tuples = [(obj, symb) for obj,symb in obj_symbol_tuples]
         self.byObject.update((id(obj_), symb_) for obj_,symb_ in tuples)
         self.bySymbol.update((symb_, weakref_ref(obj_)) for obj_,symb_ in tuples)
 
diff --git a/pyomo/core/kernel/block.py b/pyomo/core/kernel/block.py
index 15f7d13a579..6b804f407c3 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/kernel/block.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/kernel/block.py
@@ -369,8 +369,8 @@ def load_solution(self,
         # Generate the list of active import suffixes on
         # this top level model
         valid_import_suffixes = \
-            dict((obj.storage_key, obj)
-                 for obj in import_suffix_generator(self))
+            {obj.storage_key:obj
+                 for obj in import_suffix_generator(self)}
 
         # To ensure that import suffix data gets properly
         # overwritten (e.g., the case where nonzero dual
diff --git a/pyomo/core/kernel/component_map.py b/pyomo/core/kernel/component_map.py
index 113cfcbbb1c..97f7d6f233a 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/kernel/component_map.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/kernel/component_map.py
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ def __setstate__(self, state):
         # object id() may have changed after unpickling,
         # so we rebuild the dictionary keys
         self._dict = \
-            dict((id(obj), (obj,val)) \
-                 for obj, val in itervalues(state['_dict']))
+            {id(obj):(obj,val) \
+                 for obj, val in itervalues(state['_dict'])}
 
     def __getstate__(self):
         # *** Temporary hack to allow this class to be used
@@ -88,9 +88,7 @@ def __getstate__(self):
 
     def __str__(self):
         """String representation of the mapping."""
-        tmp = dict()
-        for c,v in self.items():
-            tmp[str(c)+" (id="+str(id(c))+")"] = v
+        tmp = {str(c)+" (id="+str(id(c))+")":v for c,v in self.items()}
         return "ComponentMap("+str(tmp)+")"
 
     #
@@ -133,10 +131,10 @@ def __len__(self):
     def __eq__(self, other):
         if not isinstance(other, collections_Mapping):
             return False
-        return dict(((type(key), id(key)), val)
-                    for key, val in self.items()) == \
-               dict(((type(key), id(key)), val)
-                    for key, val in other.items())
+        return {(type(key), id(key)):val
+                    for key, val in self.items()} == \
+               {(type(key), id(key)):val
+                    for key, val in other.items()}
 
     def __ne__(self, other):
         return not (self == other)
diff --git a/pyomo/core/kernel/component_set.py b/pyomo/core/kernel/component_set.py
index efac9439151..b50e89bb975 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/kernel/component_set.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/kernel/component_set.py
@@ -72,8 +72,7 @@ def __setstate__(self, state):
         # object id() may have changed after unpickling,
         # so we rebuild the dictionary keys
         assert len(state) == 1
-        self._data = dict((id(obj), obj)
-                          for obj in state['_data'])
+        self._data = {id(obj):obj for obj in state['_data']}
 
     def __getstate__(self):
         return {'_data': tuple(self._data.values())}
diff --git a/pyomo/core/kernel/dict_container.py b/pyomo/core/kernel/dict_container.py
index 05f29f94cff..cfc3d4485e1 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/kernel/dict_container.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/kernel/dict_container.py
@@ -170,10 +170,10 @@ def __contains__(self, key):
     def __eq__(self, other):
         if not isinstance(other, collections_Mapping):
             return False
-        return dict((key, (type(val), id(val)))
-                    for key, val in self.items()) == \
-               dict((key, (type(val), id(val)))
-                    for key, val in other.items())
+        return {key:(type(val), id(val))
+                    for key, val in self.items()} == \
+               {key:(type(val), id(val))
+                    for key, val in other.items()}
 
     def __ne__(self, other):
         return not (self == other)
diff --git a/pyomo/core/kernel/piecewise_library/transforms.py b/pyomo/core/kernel/piecewise_library/transforms.py
index 6f09bfba6c6..8fb73249e21 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/kernel/piecewise_library/transforms.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/kernel/piecewise_library/transforms.py
@@ -268,8 +268,7 @@ def __init__(self,
     def __getstate__(self):
         """Required for older versions of the pickle
         protocol since this class uses __slots__"""
-        return dict((key, getattr(self, key))
-                    for key in self.__slots__)
+        return {key:getattr(self, key) for key in self.__slots__}
 
     def __setstate__(self, state):
         """Required for older versions of the pickle
diff --git a/pyomo/core/kernel/piecewise_library/transforms_nd.py b/pyomo/core/kernel/piecewise_library/transforms_nd.py
index 58289d31af1..cba8cc20c5d 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/kernel/piecewise_library/transforms_nd.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/kernel/piecewise_library/transforms_nd.py
@@ -166,8 +166,7 @@ def __init__(self,
     def __getstate__(self):
         """Required for older versions of the pickle
         protocol since this class uses __slots__"""
-        return dict((key, getattr(self, key))
-                    for key in self.__slots__)
+        return {key:getattr(self, key) for key in self.__slots__}
 
     def __setstate__(self, state):
         """Required for older versions of the pickle
diff --git a/pyomo/core/plugins/transform/scaling.py b/pyomo/core/plugins/transform/scaling.py
index 72d9f297fdc..f27fdcb7ed3 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/plugins/transform/scaling.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/plugins/transform/scaling.py
@@ -153,9 +153,8 @@ def _apply_to(self, model, **kwds):
         # translate the variable_substitution_map (ComponentMap)
         # to variable_substition_dict (key: id() of component)
         # ToDo: We should change replace_expressions to accept a ComponentMap as well
-        variable_substitution_dict = dict()
-        for k in variable_substitution_map:
-            variable_substitution_dict[id(k)] = variable_substitution_map[k]
+        variable_substitution_dict = {id(k):variable_substitution_map[k]
+                                      for k in variable_substitution_map}
 
         for component in model.component_objects(ctype=(Constraint, Objective), descend_into=True):
             for k in component:
diff --git a/pyomo/core/tests/unit/kernel/test_dict_container.py b/pyomo/core/tests/unit/kernel/test_dict_container.py
index 93c06f6b317..a74b387fe48 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/tests/unit/kernel/test_dict_container.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/tests/unit/kernel/test_dict_container.py
@@ -280,8 +280,7 @@ def test_pickle(self):
 
     def test_keys(self):
         index = ['a', 1, None, (1,), (1,2)]
-        raw_constraint_dict = dict((i, self._ctype_factory())
-                                   for i in index)
+        raw_constraint_dict = {i:self._ctype_factory() for i in index}
         c = self._container_type(raw_constraint_dict)
         self.assertEqual(sorted(list(raw_constraint_dict.keys()),
                                 key=str),
@@ -289,8 +288,7 @@ def test_keys(self):
 
     def test_values(self):
         index = ['a', 1, None, (1,), (1,2)]
-        raw_constraint_dict = dict((i, self._ctype_factory())
-                                   for i in index)
+        raw_constraint_dict = {i:self._ctype_factory() for i in index}
         c = self._container_type(raw_constraint_dict)
         self.assertEqual(
             sorted(list(id(_v)
@@ -302,8 +300,7 @@ def test_values(self):
 
     def test_items(self):
         index = ['a', 1, None, (1,), (1,2)]
-        raw_constraint_dict = dict((i, self._ctype_factory())
-                                   for i in index)
+        raw_constraint_dict = {i:self._ctype_factory() for i in index}
         c = self._container_type(raw_constraint_dict)
         self.assertEqual(
             sorted(list((_i, id(_v))
@@ -315,8 +312,7 @@ def test_items(self):
 
     def test_update(self):
         index = ['a', 1, None, (1,), (1,2)]
-        raw_constraint_dict = dict((i, self._ctype_factory())
-                                   for i in index)
+        raw_constraint_dict = {i:self._ctype_factory() for i in index}
         c = self._container_type()
         c.update(raw_constraint_dict)
         self.assertEqual(sorted(list(raw_constraint_dict.keys()),
diff --git a/pyomo/core/tests/unit/test_dict_objects.py b/pyomo/core/tests/unit/test_dict_objects.py
index 1db03eb938e..aa58f8cce72 100644
--- a/pyomo/core/tests/unit/test_dict_objects.py
+++ b/pyomo/core/tests/unit/test_dict_objects.py
@@ -211,8 +211,7 @@ def test_model_clone(self):
     def test_keys(self):
         model = self.model
         index = ['a', 1, None, (1,), (1,2)]
-        raw_constraint_dict = dict((i, self._cdatatype(self._arg()))
-                                   for i in index)
+        raw_constraint_dict = {i:self._cdatatype(self._arg()) for i in index}
         model.c = self._ctype(raw_constraint_dict)
         self.assertEqual(sorted(list(raw_constraint_dict.keys()), key=str),
                          sorted(list(model.c.keys()), key=str))
@@ -220,8 +219,7 @@ def test_keys(self):
     def test_values(self):
         model = self.model
         index = ['a', 1, None, (1,), (1,2)]
-        raw_constraint_dict = dict((i, self._cdatatype(self._arg()))
-                                   for i in index)
+        raw_constraint_dict = {i:self._cdatatype(self._arg()) for i in index}
         model.c = self._ctype(raw_constraint_dict)
         self.assertEqual(
             sorted(list(id(_v)
@@ -234,8 +232,7 @@ def test_values(self):
     def test_items(self):
         model = self.model
         index = ['a', 1, None, (1,), (1,2)]
-        raw_constraint_dict = dict((i, self._cdatatype(self._arg()))
-                                   for i in index)
+        raw_constraint_dict = {i:self._cdatatype(self._arg()) for i in index}
         model.c = self._ctype(raw_constraint_dict)
         self.assertEqual(
             sorted(list((_i, id(_v))
@@ -248,8 +245,7 @@ def test_items(self):
     def test_update(self):
         model = self.model
         index = ['a', 1, None, (1,), (1,2)]
-        raw_constraint_dict = dict((i, self._cdatatype(self._arg()))
-                                   for i in index)
+        raw_constraint_dict = {i:self._cdatatype(self._arg()) for i in index}
         model.c = self._ctype()
         model.c.update(raw_constraint_dict)
         self.assertEqual(sorted(list(raw_constraint_dict.keys()), key=str),