Democracy Institute
The Democracy Institute describes itself as "a politically independent public policy research organisation"[1]. Founded in 2006, it has bases in London and Washington where it claims to, “further public education through the production and dissemination of accessible commentary and scholarship” [2] by providing a, “a balanced and thoughtful perspective on topical issues, promoting open and rational debate based on evidence rather than ideology”.[3]
Contents
People
- Patrick Basham - Director[4]
The following people are linked to the Democracy Institute through several published articles yet are not officially registered via the organisation's own website:
- John Luik - Senior Fellow[5]
- Christopher Snowdon - Adjunct Scholar[6]
Advisory Council
As listed by the Democracy Institute: [7]
- Nigel Ashford – Programme officer for the Institute for Humane Studies and previous Scholar for the Heritage Foundation. He has also directed the Principles for a free society project at the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation. the afore mentioned organisations promote conservative views [8]
- Juliette Baysham – Public Health Fellow
- Jason Clemens – *Jason Clemens – Director of Research at the Pacific Research Institute and has previously worked for the Fraser Institute[9]
- Veronique de Rugy –De Rugy is currently a research fellow at the Mercatus Centre at George Mason University, an adjunct scholar for the Cato Institute and is also on the Board of Directors of the Centre for Freedom and Prosperity[10]De Rugy has worked as a research fellow for the American Enterprise Institute and the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. [11] Prior to this she has directed academic programs for the Institute for Humane Studies [12]
- Jamie Dettmer – International Foundation for Electoral Systems
- Chris Edwards – Cato Institute
- Ivan Eland – Independent Institute
- Jeremy Lott – Senior Fellow
- Michael Mosbacher – Social Affairs Unit
- Gerry Nicholls – Senior Fellow
- Charles Pena – George Washington University
- Christopher Preble – Cato Institute
- Marian Tupy – Cato Institute
- Martin Zelder – University of Chicago
Activities
The Democracy Institute’s research interests are within the following areas: Democratisation, education policy; electoral studies; the European Union; fiscal studies; health care; international relations ; obesity; and the regulation of risk.[13] The main focus of its attention is on public health initiatives that are likely to interfere with the marketing activities of the tobacco[14], alcohol[15] and food[16] industries. The Institute is regularly consulted by the media as a body of experts in public health issues with Patrick Basham and John Luik frequently appearing as media commentators, 37 worldwide newspaper articles between 2006 and 2010 cite Basham and Luik as experts on public health issues.[17]
The Institute's director Patrick Basham is a former tobacco industry lobbyist and publishes most of the research on the Institute's website along with John Luik who is also a former tobacco industry lobbyist.[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]
On Obesity
In several articles attacking public health, Basham [29] [30][31][32] argues that four obesity claims are nothing but ‘myths’:
- That the world is obese (both adults and children)
- That being fat is a certain recipe for early death
- That fatness stems from the manufacturing and marketing practices of the food industry
- That we will lengthen our lives if only we eat less and lose weight.
According to Basham, there is no scientific evidence to support these myths. Basham claims that evidence produced by the The Scripps Research Institute in which ‘junk food’ was found to be addictive to rats due to the chemical reactions it causes in the brain are irrelevant to humans for the reason that it is been proved addictive to rats – not humans.
Basham and Luik recently published an article in spiked expressing their opinion concerning the San Francisco Board of Supervisor’s decision to approve a preliminary ban that would force fast food retailers to stop providing promotional toys with happy meals.[33] According to the article the ban would give parents an opportunity to promote healthier meal options to their children. According Basham and Luik in the article, the proposal is presumptuous as it assumes that the fast food industry and its marketing techniques contribute towards childhood obesity. The evidence-less Happy Meal ban should remind us that the entire idea of fat children is largely a cultural construct, not a scientific one. A hundred years ago, today's penchant for thin children would have been considered a shocking instance of child neglect.The idea that children weighing over a certain amount are fat or obese has no scientific foundation, as the dividing line between fat and normal is purely arbitrary, representing nothing more than a public health bureaucrat's notion of where normal ends and fat begins.[34]
More recently, Basham and Luik have criticised the NHS for proposing to prevent obese people from receiving certain operations due to lifestyle choices.[35] Basham and Luik (2011) present the following evidence in the article,
- “Van Baal and his colleagues estimated lifetime health costs for three groups of 1,000 people: the ‘healthy-living’ group (thin and non-smoking), obese people, and smokers. The researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up the most expensive health costs. But because both the smokers and the obese people died sooner than the healthy group, it cost less to treat them in the long run.”
The purpose of the article that Basham and Luik refer to as evidence was to examine the medical cost of obesity before considering implications for obesity prevention in order to reduce costs. The article concludes that obesity prevention to some extent, reduces health costs. [36]
Transparency
The organisation’s website gives no information about its major funders however in his book, ‘A Picture of Health? Why Graphic Warnings Don’t Work’ John Luik states that the writing of the book was, “made possible by funding provided by Imperial Tobacco Group PLC” indicating that the organisation has corporate associates.[37]
In a more recent article, Basham and Luik state the following, “The Democracy Institute has not received any funding from the food, gambling, tobacco, alcohol, or indoor tanning industries to publish this paper. Nor have the authors received any funding from those industries to research and write this paper, the contents of which have not been shared with or reviewed by any individual or organisation affiliated with the food, gambling, tobacco, alcohol, or indoor tanning industries.” [38]
Links
The Democracy Institute is a think tank with links to the Cato Institute [39] and Spiked online.[40]
Publications
- Partrick Basham, 2010, Sri Lanka needs carrot, not stick, The Guardian, 14-Feb-2010
- Patrick Basham and John Luik, 2010, A bleary-eyed attitude to alcohol research, 3-February-2010
- Patrick Basham, 2010, President Obama’s Fork in the Road, 25-Jan-2010
- Patrick Basham & John Luik, 2010, The myth of an ‘obesity tsunami’, 22-Jan-2010
- Patrick Basham & John Luik, 2010, In Defense of Santa, 21-Jan-2010
- Patrick Basham, 2009, Butt Out! How Philip Morris Burned Ted Kennedy, the FDA & the Anti-Tobacco Movement, Democracy Institute
- Patrick Basham & John Luik, 2009, Are Public Smoking Bans Necessary?, 17-Dec-2009
- Patrick Basham & John Luik, 2009, Can the UK Avert a Smoking Irish Failure?, 29-October-2009
- Patrick Basham & John Luik 2009, The City That Never Smokes, 26-October-2009
- Patrick Basham & John Luik, 2009, Women keep drinking, 3-March-2009
- DI Report, 2009, Alcohol Advertising Bans – September 20-Sep-2009
- Patrick Basham, 2009, The Senator and the Symbol, 28-Aug-2009
- Patrick Basham, 2009, Afghanistan's Democratic Debacle, 21-Aug-2009
- Patrick Basham, 2009, Displaying the truth about policymaking, 13-Aug-2009
- Patrick Basham & John Luik, 2009, A fat doctor in the White House?, 29-Jul-2009
- Patrick Basham & John Luik, 2009, on discrimination against fat African-American women, 29-Jul-2009
- Patrick Basham & John Luik, 2009, Banning alcohol ads won’t cure alcoholism, 21-Jul-2009 Tuesday 21 July 2009
- Patrick Basham & John Luik, 2009, Turning fat people into social outcasts, on turning fat people into social outcasts, 30-Jun-2009
- Patrick Basham & John Luik, 2009, Smoke gets in the government’s eyes, 23-Jun-2009
- Patrick Basham, 2009, The unholy alliance between Philip Morris & the FDA in the Winston-Salem Journal, 06-Jun-2009
- Patrick Basham and John Luik’s, 2009, KICKING THE SODA CAN: HARD TRUTHS ABOUT A SOFT DRINK TAX, 3-June-2009
- Patrick Basham, 2009, Keep FDA away from tobacco Orange County Register, 3-June-2009
- Patrick Basham & John Luik, 2009, A display of ignorance over youth smoking, 29 April 2009
Affiliations
Spiked | Institute of Humane Studies | Pacific Research Institute | Mercatus Center | International Foundation for Electoral Systems | Cato Institute | Independent Institute | Social Affairs Unit.[41]
Contact Details
London
- Democracy Institute
- 2nd Floor
- 145-157 St John Street
- London EC1V 4PY
- 0845 310 4144
- www.democracyinstitute.org.uk
- Email: info@democracyinstitute.org
Washington
- Democracy Institute
- 2001 M St NW
- Washington DC 20036
- 301 390 3711
- www.democracyinstitute.org
- Email: info@democracyinstitute.org
Notes
- ↑ The Democracy Institute (undated), About Us, (accessed 17th February 2011)
- ↑ The Democracy Institute (undated), About Us, (accessed 17th February 2011)
- ↑ The Democracy Institute (undated), About Us, (accessed 17th February 2011)
- ↑ About Us, About Us, Democracy Institute, accessed 10 February 2010
- ↑ Basham and Luik, Five-a-day won’t keep the doctor away, Spiked, 13 May 2010, accessed 5 August 2010
- ↑ About the Author, Velvet Glove Iron Fist website, accessed 4 August 2010
- ↑ About Us, Advisory Council, Democracy Institute, accessed 10 February 2010
- ↑ Nigel Ashford (N.D) Nigel Ashford, accessed 6th April 2010
- ↑ Jason Clemens(N.D)Jason Clemens accessed 6th April 2011
- ↑ Veronique de Rugy (N.D) Veronique de Rugy accessed 6th April 2011
- ↑ Veronique de Rugy (N.D) Veronique de Rugy curriculum vitae, accessed 6th April 2011
- ↑ Veronique de Rugy (N.D) Veronique de Rugy accessed 6th April 2011
- ↑ The Democracy Institute (undated), About Us, (accessed 17th February 2011)
- ↑ Patrick Basham & John Luik, NYC: The City that Never Smokes, The Democracy Institute, 26 October 2009, accessed 30 March 2010
- ↑ Patrick Basham & John Luik, A bleary-eyed attitude to alcohol research, The Democracy Institute, 2-February-2010, Accessed 30-March-2010
- ↑ Patrick Basham & John Luik, The myth of an ‘obesity tsunami', Democracy Institute, 19-January-2010, Accessed 30-March-2010
- ↑ Nexis UK (2011), Nexis Search Terms "John Luik" and "Patrick Basham" (accessed 17th February 2011)
- ↑ Telefax, Tflb CONFEDERATION OF EUROPEAN COMMUNITY CIGARETTE MANUFACTURER LIMITED, CONFEDERATION OF EUROPEAN COMMUNITY CIGARETTE MANUFACTURER LIMITED, 22-June-1993
- ↑ Consultants, John Luik, Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco, Accessed 10-February-2010
- ↑ Consultants, John Luik, Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco, Accessed 10-February-2010
- ↑ Gori GB, Luik JC. Passive smoke: the EPA’s betrayal of science and policy. Vancouver, Canada: Fraser Institute, 1999
- ↑ Marsden, W., "Big tobacco's shell game with the truth," Montreal Gazette, June 21, 2001
- ↑ Montreal Gazette, Blowing smoke, Cornwall Standard Freeholder (Ontario), 2-July-2001
- ↑ Sherry Stein, Letter to Adrain Payne at British American Tobacco, 28-July-2000, Accessed through Tobacco Archives 18-February-2010
- ↑ Sherry Stein, Letter to Martin Broughton, 28-January-2000, Accessed through Tobacco Archives 20-February-2010
- ↑ Patrick Basham, Public Policy Sources, The Fraser Institute, 1-August-2000, Accessed through Tobacco Archives 20-February-2010
- ↑ Press Release, Media Release, The Fraser Institute, 9-April-1999, Accessed Through Tobacco Archives 18-February-2010
- ↑ Patrick Basham, Public Policy Sources, The Fraser Institute, 1-August-2000, Accessed through Tobacco Archives 20-February-2010
- ↑ Basham, P. & Luik,J. (2006)Four big, fat myths (accessed 24th February 2011)
- ↑ Basham, P & Luik,J.(2010)A happy meal is nothing to smile about (accessed 19th February 2011)
- ↑ Basham, P.(2010) "The myth of an obesity tsunami, Democracy Institute (accessed 24th February 2011
- ↑ Basham, P. & Luik, J. (2008)"Head To Head Is The Obesity Epidemic Exaggerated? Yes, “British Medical Journal”, (accessed 24th February 2011)
- ↑ Basham, P & Luik, J.(2010)A happy meal is nothing to smile about (accessed 19th February 2011)
- ↑ Basham, P & Luik (2010) happy meal is nothing to smile about (accessed 19th February 2011)
- ↑ Basham, P. & Luik,J. (2011), Healthcare for all unless your fat!, Spiked online, (accessed 11th March 2011)
- ↑ Pieter H. M. Van Baal, P.H.M; Polder, J.J; Ardine de Wit, G.; Hoogenveen, R.T. Feenstra, T.L.; Boshuizen, H.C.; Engelfriet, P.M.; Brouwe,W. (2008), Medical Costs of Obesity: Prevention No Cure for Increasing Health Expenditure, PLoS Med 5(2): e29, (accessed 11th March 2011)
- ↑ Luik,J., (2006),A Picture of Health? Why Graphic Warnings Don’t Work, London, The Democracy Institute (accessed 28th February 2011)
- ↑ Basham, P. & Luik, J. (2006), The War on Working Class Culture London, The Democracy Institute (accessed 28th February 2011)
- ↑ Patrick Basham, Adjunct Scholar, The Cato Institute, Accessed 30-March-2010
- ↑ All Articles, Articles by Basham & Luik, Spiked, accessed 30 March 2010
- ↑ About Us, Advisory Council, Democracy Institute, Accessed 10-February-2010
