The Pacific Research Institute (PRI), or officially the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy, is a California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

-based free-market think tank founded in 1979 whose stated vision is the promotion of "the principles of individual freedom and personal responsibility". The Institute believes these principles are best encouraged through policies that emphasize a free economy, private initiative, and limited government." The Pacific Research Institute has been associated with other think-tanks, including the American Enterprise Institute

American Enterprise Institute

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...

, The Heritage Foundation

The Heritage Foundation

The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...

, The Fraser Institute, and the Cato Institute

Cato Institute

The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...

.

Since 1996 they have produced an Index of Leading Environmental Indicators

Index of Leading Environmental Indicators

Index of Leading Environmental Indicators is a report published yearly since 1996 by the Pacific Research Institute. Author Steven F. Hayward stated that he issues the index every Earth Day in an effort to track environmental trends in the U.S. and worldwide.- External links :*, Pacific Research...

, which tracks environmental trends worldwide.

Areas of work

The PRI think tank lists the following as their goals:

• Education – to provide all students with access to a quality education
• Business and Economics – to strike down barriers to economic growth and innovation
• Health Care – to provide better quality and access to health-care while lowering costs
• Technology – to identify and limit harmful government regulation in the technology sector
• Environment – to sustain the trend toward a cleaner environment

Their listed accomplishments of 2009 include:

• Reached an audience of more than 475 million through print and online outlets throughout the year
• On average, more than 100 articles citing PRI’s research published each month, 1,254 in total
• Articles placed in all of the top 10 daily newspapers in the nation and in all papers nationwide, including USA Today, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post.
• Website page visits totaled over half a million, with 1.3 million pages viewed
• Reached more than 40 million through radio and television nationwide

PRI and Healthcare

PRI head Sally C. Pipes, a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

-born naturalized United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 citizen frequently speaks and writes against single-payer healthcare. Her bio lists as healthcare topics she had addressed "the false promise of a single-payer system as exists in Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, pharmaceutical pricing, solving the problem of the uninsured, and strategies for consumer-driven health care".

She authored a 2004 book, Miracle Cure: How to Solve America’s Health Care Crisis and Why Canada Isn’t the Answer.

PRI started Center for Medicine in the Public Interest

Center for Medicine in the Public Interest

The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest is a non-profit medical issues research group that is partially funded by the pharmaceutical industry...

.

Staff

The staff of the PRI includes :

• Chrissie Fong, Development Associate and Database Manager
• Cindy Chin, Events Manager
• Kelly Gorton, Marketing Associate
• John R. Graham, Director, Health Care Studies
• Steven F. Hayward
  Steven F. Hayward
  Steven F. Hayward is an American author, political commentator, and policy scholar. He argues for libertarian and conservative viewpoints in his writings. He writes frequently on the topics of environmentalism, law, economics, and public policy.-Career:...
  
  , Senior Fellow, Environmental Studies
• Rowena Itchon, Vice President for Marketing
• Lance Izumi, Koret Senior Fellow; Senior Director, Education Studies;
• Amy Kaleita, Policy Fellow, Environmental Studies
• Lawrence J. McQuillan, Director, Business and Economic Studies
• Sally C. Pipes, President and CEO

Former Staff

Former staff of the PRI includes :

• Vicki (Murray) Alger, Former Assistant Director & Senior Policy Fellow, Education Studies
• K. Lloyd Billingsley, Former Editorial Director
• John Campbell, Former Foundations and Major Gifts
• Karen Chreston, Former Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
• Jason Clemens, Former Director of Research

External links

• Pacific Research Institute website.
• Sourcewatch Report on PRI.