Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies

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The Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies (JIMS) is an independent, nonprofit economic policy think tank whose mission is to discover practical ways to promote market solutions and limited government in Israel and the region.

JIMS was founded in 2003, by Robert Sauer and Corinne Parenti-Sauer, and has quickly become one of Israel's most successful nonprofit economic policy think tanks. JIMS regularly publishes economic policy papers and newspaper editorials, and calculates Israel Tax Freedom Day each year. JIMS is the Israel member of the Economic Freedom Network led by the Fraser Institute in Canada. As the sole Israel member of the Economic Freedom Network, JIMS is the co-publisher with the Fraser Institute of Israel's entry in the Economic Freedom of the World index. JIMS also works closely with the International Policy Network based in London, and is part of the Stockholm Network of market-oriented think tanks in Europe.

JIMS also launched a number of innovative educational projects that has brought the institute additional public recognition. JIMS is the only educational institution in Israel that regularly runs seminars on the principles of classical liberalism, offering university student fellowships and stipends for colloquium members. JIMS also has separate seminars for working professionals and high school students. Most notably, JIMS has started teaching the basics of classical liberal thought to elementary school students in a public religious girls school in Jerusalem.

JIMS received an Honorable Mention grant in the Templeton Freedom Award program of 2005 administered by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation in the USA. The Templeton Freedom Award Grants specifically honor promising organizations, especially in parts of the world where there are few independent voices advocating economic freedom, individual liberty, and limited government under the rule of law.

[edit] The Institute's main programs include:
  • Student Workshop in Austrian Economics
  • High School Workshop in Economics
  • Elementary School Enrichment Program in Economics
  • Young Professionals Round Table
  • Tax Freedom Day Calculation for Israel
  • Israel Spend-O-Meter of Government Spending

[edit] The Institute's areas of research and policy interest:
  • Labor Market and Welfare Reform
  • Intellectual Property Rights
  • Judaism and Classical Liberalism
  • Competitive Sourcing
  • Tax Reform
  • Free Trade
  • Privatization


[edit] External links