Cato Institute's Moment of Trial

It has always been in my mind that think tanks generally provide a good ground for developing thinking and generating new policy ideas in society. Holding this truth asnd self-evident, I have always argued that there is a solid correlation between the number and quality of think tanks in a polity and the quality of life of citizens. Taking this idea further, I have maintained that the variety in quality of the think tanks is in many respects a measure of the fact that larger economies have surpluses and firms that may contribute towards the support of dispassionate thinking and idea generation.

I have posted a number of pieces on this blog such as this, this and this in which I mused on a number of issues pertinent to think tanks. Following a single visit years ago, I acquired and have often maintained enormous respect for the Cato Institute as the example of an ideas institution with rigorous analysis and a wide range of policy interests. Added to the fact that it is well-endowed with intellectual and financial resources, it remained in my eyes the libertarian's think tank. And yet it is clear that this think tank is about to go through an internal civil war that would leave its credibility in tatters and with a major loss of its secure financial base if a takeover that is being proposed by the Koch brothers is successful. 

David Weigel's article narrates about the sudden change that the institution would undergo if the composition of its Board of Directors changed as desired by leading financial supporters. It impresses me that the structure itself mirrors that of a corporation but the assertiveness of the new members is undesirable because it is specifically calculated to ensure that research and policy prescriptions take a predetermined political shape. The lesson of this event is that no individual should place political interests ahead of a working and respected institution and that when all this is done, Cato will not be the same again. It is impressive that the staff is clearly aware that this shift will affect their work adversely and are supportive of the president. May reason prevail.