A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental organizations, but some are semi-autonomous agencies within government or are associated with particular political parties, businesses or the military. Think-tank funding often includes a combination of donations from wealthy individuals and personal contributions, with many also accepting government grants.
The Adam Smith Institute (ASI) is a neoliberal think tank and lobbying group based in the United Kingdom and named after Adam Smith, a Scottish moral philosopher and classical economist. The libertarian label was officially changed to neoliberal on 10 October 2016. The Institute advocates free market and classical liberal ideas, primarily via the formation of policy options with regard to public choice theory, which political decision makers seek to develop upon. ASI President Madsen Pirie has sought to describe the activity of the organisation as "[w]e propose things which people regard as being on the edge of lunacy. The next thing you know, they're on the edge of policy".
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is a right-wing think tank and UK registered charity associated with the New Right. The IEA describes itself as an "educational research institute". It says that it seeks to "further the dissemination of free-market thinking", and that it does so by "analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems." The IEA subscribes to a right-wing and neoliberal worldview and advocates positions based on this ideology, including climate change denial, and total privatisation, in effect abolition, of the National Health Service (NHS), in favour of a healthcare system the IEA says is similar to Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Israel. The IEA is funded by the tobacco industry, and IEA officers have been recorded offering "cash for access". The IEA is headquartered in Westminster, London, England.
The Fraser Institute is a non partisan Canadian public policy think tank and registered charity. The institute is headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal, and ties to a global network of 80 think tanks through the Economic Freedom Network. It is a member of the Atlas Network of libertarian policy lobbyists.
The Mont Pelerin Society (MPS) is an international organization composed of economists, philosophers, historians, intellectuals and business leaders. The members see the MPS as an effort to interpret in modern terms the fundamental principles of economic society as expressed by classical Western economists, political scientists and philosophers. Its founders included Friedrich Hayek, Frank Knight, Karl Popper, Ludwig von Mises, George Stigler and Milton Friedman. The society advocates freedom of expression, free market economic policies and the political values of an open society. Further, the society seeks to discover ways in which free enterprise can replace many functions currently provided by government entities.
Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a non independent policy institute and secret society headquartered in London. Its stated mission is to provide commentary on world events and offer solutions to global challenges. It is the originator of the Chatham House Rule.
Sir Antony George Anson Fisher, nicknamed AGAF, was a British businessman and think tank founder. He participated in the formation of various libertarian organisations during the second half of the twentieth century, including the Institute of Economic Affairs and the Atlas Network. Through Atlas, he helped establish up to 150 other institutions worldwide.
Atlas Network, formerly known as the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, is a non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States that provides training, networking and grants for libertarian and free-market groups around the world. It partners with about 500 organizations in nearly 100 countries.
Centre for Political Studies, also known as CEPOS, is an independent association which works as a classical liberal/free-market conservative think-tank in Denmark. It is a strongly right-leaning and highly political association.
The Stockholm Network was a pan-European think tank and network located in London. In addition to its own policy research, it was an umbrella organisation for market-oriented think tanks in Europe. It had over 130 member organisations.
Richard Anthony Edward North is a British blogger and author. He has published books on defence and agriculture. He was previously the research director in the European Parliament for the now-defunct political grouping Europe of Democracies and Diversities, which included the UK Independence Party (UKIP).
The American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) is a libertarian think tank located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1933 by Edward C. Harwood, an economist and investment advisor. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Instituto Liberdade do Rio Grande do Sul is a Brazilian independent think tank, formed by intellectual entrepreneurs, based in Porto Alegre. Instituto Liberdade is not endowed and does not accept government funding. All of its programs depend upon the generosity of foundations, individuals, and corporations that share belief in the importance of independent research.
Jamie Whyte is a New Zealand classical-liberal academic and politician who was the Leader of ACT New Zealand in 2014. He unsuccessfully contested the Pakuranga electorate in the 2014 general election. At the election, Whyte held the first position on the party list, but ACT did not achieve enough party votes to secure any list seats. Soon after the 2014 general election, he resigned from the leadership of ACT.
The Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change (CSCCC) is an entity that maintains a website and describes itself as a global group of non-profit organizations with a mission of "seek[ing] to educate the public about the science and economics of climate change in an impartial manner." The Coalition identifies its membership as including 60 independent nonprofit organisations from 40 countries "who share a commitment to improving public understanding about a range of public policy issues." It calls itself "a free-market alternative to mainstream environmentalism." An Indian news media report states that it was founded by the International Policy Network, a London-based organization that receives support from Exxon Mobil.
The Legatum Institute is a think tank based in London, UK, headed by Philippa, Baroness Stroud, a Conservative member of the House of Lords. Its stated aim is to advance the education of the public in national and international political, social and economic policy. The Institute has over forty donors including the Legatum Foundation. It has been called "arguably the most influential think tank in Britain pushing its free market pro-Brexit vision and enjoying privileged access to media and ministers" but it has attracted controversy as a result of its opaque, offshore funding.
Making Our Economy Right (MOER) is a free market think tank in Bangladesh. Headquartered in Dhaka, the institute was established in 1991 by Nizam Ahmad. MOER is sponsored by the Atlas Foundation in the United States. Deroy Murdock, an American libertarian syndicated columnist for the Scripps Howard News Service, is an advisory board member of MOER.
Mark James Littlewood is the director general of the libertarian, free market think-tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). He has formerly been the chief press spokesman for the Liberal Democrats and the Pro-Euro Conservative Party and was an advisor to Conservative Party under Prime Minister David Cameron. Having previously been in favour of deeper European integration, Littlewood later adopted a eurosceptic position and advocated voting Leave in the 2016 referendum on Membership of the European Union. T
55 Tufton Street is a four storey Georgian era townhouse on Tufton Street, in Westminster, London, owned by businessman Richard Smith. Since the 2010s the building has hosted lobby groups and think tanks related to Brexit and climate change. A group of these think tanks, dubbed "The Nine Entities", use the building for biweekly meetings to coordinate policy and public messages.
