Mackinac Center for Public Policy

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The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonprofit free-market research and educational organization located in Midland, Michigan. Writer and speaker Lawrence Reed has served as president since 1987.

It describes itself as "a nonpartisan research and educational institute devoted to improving the quality of life for all Michigan citizens by promoting sound solutions to state and local policy questions." The New York Times and other newspapers describe the Center as "a conservative think tank."^[1] The Raleigh News and Observer has reported that the Center is the largest state-wide conservative think tank in the country.^[2]

While the Mackinac Center does not disclose its donor list, it receives money from a variety of individual donors, corporations, and foundations. The foundation that provides the most support is the Earhart Foundation, which provides some funding for the Center's Labor and Education Resource Center. ^[3] The Center also receives money from other foundations that is also earmarked for special uses, such as supporting the Labor and Education Resource Center or its Public Policy Science, Environment and Technology Initiative.^[4]

In practice, the Center is libertarian in ideology, and the Center advocates against governmental regulation and many taxes, including the Single Business Tax.^{[citation needed]} Though the Center is non-partisan, it frequently agrees with (or is agreed with by) conservatives, much the same way the Michigan Prospect does with progressives.^{[citation needed]} The Michigan Prospect and the Mackinac Center are frequent opponents on most issues.^{[citation needed]}

The Mackinc Center is a 501(c)3 organization, legally limited in the amount of money it can spend on legislative efforts.^[5]