Prometheus institute

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For the Massachusetts publisher of PV News, see Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development

The Prometheus Institute is a libertarian think tank based in Orange County, California. It produces free-market articles and other publications known for being geared more toward a younger, lay audience than the academic policy circles targeted by many other think tanks. Its articles are heavily submitted to fark.com, reddit, and Shoutwire, as well as discussed in online political communities such as FreeRepublic.

1 History and Overview
2 Criticism
3 Positions and activities
4 References
5 External Links

[edit] History and Overview

The Prometheus Institute, or PI as it often refers to itself, was founded in 2003. Its website states that it exists to advance "unique, intelligent and creative perspectives on politics and culture." Its mission statement is to "establish libertarianism as an intellectually-viable political philosophy". ^[1] The Institute brands itself as "socially liberal and fiscally conservative", spending most time supporting such positions as free trade, privatization, anti-censorship, privacy, decriminalization, and abortion rights. The relative youth of the staff (all executives are in their twenties), manifests itself often in the style and subject matter of the Institute's activities. Distinct from other think tanks, the Institute's writing and advocacy incorporates much popular culture, addressing political points in such traditionally apolitical subjects as rap music, golf, poker, baseball, technology, business and popular television. The institute often claims a subsidiary goal of engaging the younger, often apathetic Generation Y (to which all staff members belong). The organization also publishes work of the more typical think tank style, including abstracts in political theory and research projects, although such activity is a minority output.

[edit] Criticism

The Prometheus Institute is criticised heavily both by liberals and conservatives. Many liberals criticise the perceived anarcho-capitalism of the Institute ^[2], although there are several editorials on the organization's website displaying moderate economic views, such as the promotion of lump-sum welfare payments ^[3], various regulatory systems, and taxes on pollution. Many liberals believe the institute's pro-market policies are unnecessarily harmful to the environment, the poor, the elderly, unskilled workers, and other vulnerable groups ^[4]. Conservatives dislike the organization's social liberalism, accusing its permissiveness of social activities such as drug use, gambling and sexuality as antinomian ^[5]. The Institute responds to these accusations with the claim that it does not condone or promote many of the activities it hopes to legalize, but rather supports their natural exclusion through education, parental involvement, and social custom ^[6].

Another common criticism of the Institute is that it exhibits a general attitude of arrogance and condescension, both in its editorial tone as well as certain policy positions. ^[2]Additionally, various Institute articles and publications are criticised for their arcane and overtly-intellectual vocabulary ^[7], which some say is further indicative of the organization's hubris.

The Institute is also criticised for its Orange County location, which the Institute itself promotes often. Some believe the West Coast location is too withdrawn from the reality and action of Washington, D.C. politics, while others believe the wealthy, developed region (instead of true ideological conviction) fuels most of the Institute's pro-market, laissez-faire ideology.

[edit] Positions and activities

The Prometheus Institute organizes the majority of its work into "PI Projects", consisting mostly of policy proposals and talking point positions on various issues ^[8]. The Institute bills these proposals as "the most innovative, brilliant and effective policy proposals in the world", yet almost all are recycled proposals from other libertarian writers and organizations, such as the negative income tax (called the "Outcome Tax" by PI), private accounts for Social Security, a Pigouvian tax on pollution, school vouchers, and others. The Institute then forwards these same principles in its publications and activism.