Centre for Independent Studies
Encyclopedia : C : CE : CEN : Centre for Independent Studies
The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) is an Australian think tank, founded in April 1976 by Greg Lindsay (Executive Director). It is funded by private sector donations-from individuals, companies and charitable trusts. It advocates for neoliberal economic and conservative social policies. In 2005, it also opened offices in neighbouring New Zealand.
It is one of a number of Australian think tanks, and one of six recognised by the National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA) in Tokyo, Japan.
The CIS has a focus on Australia and New Zealand and states that it supports a "free enterprise economy and a free society under limited government where individuals can prosper and fully develop their talents". It claims to have a focus on:
- areas dealing broadly with social and economic policy
- *the role of the free market in an open society
- *voluntary processes in providing many of the goods and services normally supplied by the compulsory methods of government
- Individual liberty and choice, including freedom of association, religion, speech and the right to property
Controversy
The CIS is often in controversy with other think tanks and welfare bodies, particularly centrist and Left-wing organisations such as the Australia Institute, the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, the Smith Family and the Australian Council of Social Service. Most recently, the CIS has criticised the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul's research on the state of welfare in Australia.Research Programs
The CIS has research programmes on:- Social Foundations
- Taking Children Seriously
- Liberalising Learning (higher education)
- Economic Freedom Watch
- Religion and Free Society
Lecture series and seminars
- John Bonython - annual
- Acton Lecture on Religion and Freedom - annual
- CIS Lectures
- Bert Kelly
- Consilium annual conference for leading policy makers and thinkers.
Publications (examples)
CIS Policy Monographs
- Conspicuous Compassion: Why Sometimes it Really is Cruel to be Kind, Patrick West
- Australia's Welfare Habit: and how to kick it, Peter Saunders (Director of Social Research)
Occasional Papers (OPs)
- Issue Analysis series (recent)
- *No. 57: The $85 Billion Tax/Welfare Churn, Peter Saunders
- *No. 56: Universities In A State: The Federal Case Against Commonwealth Control Of Universities, Andrew Norton
- *No. 54: A New Deal For Aborigines And Torres Strait Islanders In Remote Communities, Helen Hughes And Jenness Warin
- *No. 51: Only 18% Why ACOSS Is Wrong To Be Complacent About Welfare Dependency, Peter Saunders
References
- "Surfing the wave of ideas", The Independent Weekly (Adelaide, South Australia), 22 May 2005
See also
- Emeritus Professor Peter Saunders
External links
- [The Centre for Independent Studies]
- Sourcewatch, [Centre for Independent Studies]
- [Policy] (quarterly journal) published by CIS
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