Centre for Political Studies, also known as CEPOS, is an independent association which works as a

classical liberal Classical liberalism is a political tradition and a branch of liberalism that advocates free market and laissez-faire economics and civil liberties under the rule of law, with special emphasis on individual autonomy, limited government, eco ...

think-tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...

in Denmark. It is a strongly right-leaning and highly political association.

History

Inspired by institutions such as

The Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution, often stylized as Brookings, is an American think tank that conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics (and tax policy), metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, global eco ...

American Enterprise Institute The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, known simply as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), is a center-right think tank based in Washington, D.C., that researches government, politics, economics, and social welfare ...

The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (or simply Heritage) is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1973, it took a leading role in the conservative movement in the 1980s during the Presi ...

Adam Smith Institute The Adam Smith Institute (ASI) is a UK-based neoliberal think tank and lobbying group, named after Adam Smith, a Scottish moral philosopher and classical economist. The Institute advocates free market and classical liberal ideas, primarily ...

Institute of Economic Affairs The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is a British right-wing free market think tank, which is registered as a charity. Associated with the New Right, the IEA describes itself as an "educational research institute", and says that it seeks to ...

, and others, CEPOS was founded on 11 March 2004 by a number of high-profile representatives of Danish academia, business, media, and the arts, including former

defence minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

Bernt Johan Collet Bernt Johan Holger Collet (born 23 November 1941) is a Danish politician and farmer. He is the eldest son of Chamberlain and Master of the Royal Hunt, M.Sc. (Econ), Harald Collet and landscape architect Else Collett. He served as defense minister ...

, who became chairman of the board. Other prominent co-founders include former Prime Minister

Poul Schlüter Poul Holmskov Schlüter (; 3 April 1929 – 27 May 2021) was a Danish politician who served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 1982 to 1993. He was the first (and to date, only) member of the Conservative People's Party to become Prime Minister, ...

, former Minister of Foreign Affairs

Uffe Ellemann-Jensen Uffe Ellemann-Jensen (; 1 November 1941 – 18 June 2022) was a Danish politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark in the Det Konservative Folkeparti, Conservative-led Poul Schlüter Administration from 1982 to 1993. He was ...

, university professors Nicolai Juul Foss, Jesper Lau Hansen, Bent Jensen, and

Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard , (born 1966) is a Danish political scientist with a particular interest in public choice analysis and classical liberalism. Education and employment Kurrild-Klitgaard holds the degrees of Ph.D. in political science, M. ...

. Also included are well-known journalists Bent Blüdnikow and Samuel Rachlin and cultural personalities such as

Bent Fabricius-Bjerre Bent Fabricius-Bjerre (7 December 1924 – 28 July 2020), better known internationally as Bent Fabric, was a Danish pianist and composer. Biography Bent Fabricius-Bjerre was born in Frederiksberg, Denmark. He started a jazz ensemble after ...

and

Michael Laudrup Michael Laudrup (, born 15 June 1964) is a Danish professional Association football, football coach and former player. Renowned for his composure, passing, vision, technical skills, ball control, and dribbling ability, Laudrup is widely regarded ...

. Martin Ågerup was hired in 2005 as the think tank's CEO. In 2023 he was succeeded by Jes B. Christensen. During the summer of 2004, the new Board managed to bring in the necessary grants and contributions from foundations, corporations, and individual sponsors. At a meeting on 2 October 2004, the founders confirmed their decision to establish the think-tank, CEPOS. The official opening of CEPOS took place on 10 March 2005 at

Hotel D'Angleterre The Hôtel d'Angleterre or Angleterre is one of the first deluxe hotels in the world. Situated in the heart of Copenhagen, Denmark, it is located on Kongens Nytorv opposite Charlottenborg, the Royal Theatre and Nyhavn. While its history dates ...

. CEPOS is dedicated to preserving and strengthening what they see as the foundations of a free and prosperous society by supporting tax-cuts,

limited government In political philosophy, limited government is the concept of a government limited in power. It is a key concept in the history of liberalism.Amy Gutmann, "How Limited Is Liberal Government" in Liberalism Without Illusions: Essays on Liberal ...

, and private enterprise as well as vital cultural and political institutions. The work of CEPOS claim to support a civil society consisting of free and responsible individuals and to foster policies, institutions and culture that is supportive of a free market economy, the rule of law, and a civil society consisting of free and responsible individuals. The think tank is a known advocate of school choice, a more open immigration policy, lower taxes and less regulation, and a known opponent of increased public surveillance, anti-terrorism laws that curtail civil liberties and criminalizing what they see as "

victimless crime A victimless crime is an illegal act that typically either directly involves only the perpetrator or occurs between consenting adults. Because it is consensual in nature, whether there involves a victim is a matter of debate. Definitions of vi ...

". CEPOS produces policy analyses on a wide range of issues, including education, immigration, legal reform, taxation, regulation and the public sector. It hosts numerous conferences each year and has attracted high-level speakers, including

Robert Barro Robert Joseph Barro (born September 28, 1944) is an American macroeconomist and the Paul M. Warburg Professor of Economics at Harvard University. Barro is considered one of the founders of new classical macroeconomics, along with Robert Lucas ...

George Borjas George Jesus Borjas ( born Jorge Jesús Borjas, October 15, 1950) is a Cuban-American economist and the Robert W. Scrivner Professor of Economics and Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. He has been described as "America’s leading immigr ...

, Nobel laureate

Edward Prescott Edward Christian Prescott (December 26, 1940 – November 6, 2022) was an American economist. He received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 2004, sharing the award with Finn E. Kydland, "for their contributions to dynamic macroeconomics: ...

, Nobel laureate

Gary Becker Gary Stanley Becker (; December 2, 1930 – May 3, 2014) was an American economist who received the 1992 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. He was a professor of economics and sociology at the University of Chicago, and was a leader of ...

Nigel Lawson Nigel Lawson, Baron Lawson of Blaby, (11 March 1932 – 3 April 2023) was a British politician and journalist. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Member of Parliament for Blaby in Leicestershire from 1974 to 1992, and served ...

and many others. CEPOS is frequently quoted in the media, with over 5000 media clips amassed over its years in operation, and was described by the Danish business magazine Berlingske Nyhedsmagasin in 2007 as being "in charge of the public debate". CEPOS is the Danish participant in the Economic Freedom of the World Project as well as the

International Property Rights Index Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) is a politically conservative U.S. advocacy group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today." According to ATR, "The government's power to contr ...

CEPOS Academy

In 2006, CEPOS launched CEPOS Academy (CEPOS Akademi), a free course taught by university professors, industry leaders and former statesmen in the underlying philosophical, sociological and economic ideas behind classical liberalism, and the various theories behind the free market. Admission is highly competitive.

Criticism

CEPOS has repeatedly been criticized for downplaying the effects of climate change and its consequences for both the environment and the global economy. In Danish science magazine Videnskab.dk researchers have accused CEPOS of utilizing a type of deflective climate scepticism to stall serious climate action.

Awards and ranking

CEPOS is a five-time winner of the

Atlas Economic Research Foundation Atlas Network, formerly known as Atlas Economic Research Foundation, is a non-governmental, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States that provides training, networking, and grants for libertarian, free-market, and Conserva ...

and

John Templeton Foundation The John Templeton Foundation (Templeton Foundation) is a Philanthropy, philanthropic organization founded by John Templeton in 1987. Templeton became wealthy as a Contrarian investing, contrarian investor, and wanted to support progress in relig ...

awards given to the best think tanks around the world. It was awarded the 2006 Templeton Freedom Award, given an Honorable Mention in the 2007 Templeton Freedom Award Grant, and received the 2007 Templeton Freedom Prize for Initiative in Public Relations. It was awarded second place in the 2008 Sir Anthony Fisher International Memorial Award for the best book published by a think tank and won the 2009 Fisher Venture Grant Award. In the ''2014 Global Go To

Think Tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...

Index Report'' (

Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) was a non-profit program at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that operated from 1989 to 2021. TTCSP was originally established at the Foreign Policy Research Insti ...

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

), CEPOS was placed number 52 (of 80) in the "Top Think Tanks in Western Europe".

References

External links

CEPOS

CEPOS University
{{DEFAULTSORT:CEPOS 2004 establishments in Denmark Think tanks established in 2004 Think tanks based in Denmark Think tanks based in Europe Libertarian think tanks Conservatism in Denmark Liberalism in Denmark