Adam Smith Institute
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| Abbreviation | ASI |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1977 |
| Type | Neoliberal think tank |
| Headquarters | 23 Great Smith Street, London, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°29′52″N 0°07′46″W / 51.4979°N 0.1294°WCoordinates: 51°29′52″N 0°07′46″W / 51.4979°N 0.1294°W |
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President
Director Executive Director |
Madsen Pirie Eamonn Butler Sam Bowman |
| Website | https://www.adamsmith.org |
The Adam Smith Institute (ASI) is a neoliberal (formerly libertarian) think tank and lobbying group based in the United Kingdom, named after Adam Smith, a Scottish moral philosopher and classical economist. The libertarian label was officially changed to neoliberal on Oct 10, 2016. It advocates free market and classical liberal ideas, primarily via the formation of radical policy options with regard to Public Choice theory, which political decision makers seek to develop upon. The President of the ASI, Madsen Pirie, has sought to describe the activity of the organisation as "We 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 ASI formed the primary intellectual force behind privatisation of state-owned industries during the premiership of Margaret Thatcher, and alongside the Centre for Policy Studies and Institute of Economic Affairs, advanced a Neoliberal approach toward public policy on privatisation, taxation, education, and healthcare. A number of the policies presented by organisation were adopted by the administrations of John Major and Tony Blair, and members of the ASI have also advised non-UK governments.
Beyond policy development, the organisation advocates free market ideas through the publication and distribution of literature, the promotion of UK Tax Freedom Day, the hosting of speaker events for students and young people, media appearances and blogging.
Dr. Madsen Pirie, and brothers Eamonn and Stuart Butler were students together at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Pirie left in 1974 to work for the Republican Study Committee in Washington DC, and then took up a professorship in Philosophy at Hillsdale College. He was joined there by Stuart Butler, while Eamonn Butler went to work with Edwin Feulner, who became co-founder and director of the free-market think tank The Heritage Foundation.
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