The Independent Institute of Alexandria

The mission of The Independent Institute is to transcend the all-too-common politicization and superficiality of public policy research and debate, redefine the debate over public issues, and foster new and effective directions for government reform.

Today, the influence of partisan interests is so pervasive that public policy debate has become too politicized and is largely confined to a narrow reconsideration of existing policies. In order to fully understand the nature of public issues and possible solutions, the Institute adheres to high standards of independent scholarly inquiry. The Institute’s program is pursued to rigorous standards without regard to any political or social biases.

My personal vision for the Institute is to establish a forum for both politicians, citizens and possibly foreigners interested in Alexandria to share their views for reform - to create a better, stronger Alexandria. The Institute shall never endorse any particular political party nor candidate for office, rather it shall endorse policies that are good for Alexandria.

The logo for our organization was inspired by Ronald Coase’s renowned 1974 essay in the Journal of Law and Economics, "The Lighthouse in Economics," (reprinted in the book, The Firm, the Market and the Law, by Ronald Coase). Until that time, conventional wisdom from John Stuart Mill to Paul Samuelson had claimed that the lighthouse was the quintessential "public good," which allegedly had to be provided by government due to the inherent free-riding of those who could not be charged for the services being provided. Coase showed, however, that in Britain, “contrary to the belief of many economists, a lighthouse service can be provided by private enterprise... The lighthouses were built, operated, financed and owned by private individuals, who could sell a lighthouse or dispose of it by bequest. The role of the government was limited to the establishment and enforcement of property rights in the lighthouse." Only later did the British government consolidate all lighthouse services under its own monopoly in order to eliminate competition and directly reap the financial benefits developed by private entrepreneurs.

In addition to exposing the fallacies of a favorite public-goods rationalization, Coase’s essay rescued the lighthouse as a symbol of courage, enlightenment and independence.

The Independent Institute - Enlightening ideas for public policy...