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; civil liberties under the rule of law with especial emphasis on individual autonomy, limited government, economic ...

think-tank A think tank, or 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-governmental org ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of 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 simply Brookings, is an American research group founded in 1916. Located on Think Tank Row (Washington DC), Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C., the organization conducts research and education in the s ...

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

Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (abbreviated to Heritage) is an American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. that is primarily geared toward public policy. The foundation took a leading role in the conservative movement during the presiden ...

Adam Smith Institute The Adam Smith Institute (ASI) is a neoliberal UK-based think tank and lobbying group, named after Adam Smith, a Scottish moral philosopher and classical economist. The libertarian label was officially changed to neoliberal on 10 October 201 ...

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

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

defence minister A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

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 ministe ...

, 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 member of the Conservative People's Party to become Prime Minister, as well as the first ...

, former Minister of Foreign Affairs

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

, 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.Sc ...

. 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 W ...

and

Michael Laudrup Michael Laudrup (, born 15 June 1964) is a Danish professional football coach and former player. He is considered to be one of the greatest players of all time. He is the older brother of fellow retired footballer Brian Laudrup. During his pl ...

. Martin Ågerup was hired in 2005 as the think-tank's CEO. 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 October 2, 2004, the founders confirmed their decision to establish the think-tank, CEPOS. The official opening of CEPOS took place on March 10, 2005 at

Hotel D'Angleterre The Hotel d'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 Opera and Nyhavn. While its history dates back to 1755, it h ...

. 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 Theo ...

, and private enterprise as well as vital cultural and political institutions. The research 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 recognized by the Danish state as an official research institution, a title only given to institutions that produce knowledge of equal quality to that of Danish universities. It 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 vic ...

". CEPOS produces both academic research and 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, Jr ...

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, (born 11 March 1932) is a British Conservative Party politician and journalist. He was a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Blaby from 1974 to 1992, and served in the cabinet of Margaret ...

and many others. CEPOS has been described as a leading and serious voice in the Danish debate on taxation, regulation, and welfare, as well as on schools, education and integration. It 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 An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the ...

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 control ...

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 highly prestigious Atlas Economic Research Foundation and

John Templeton Foundation The John Templeton Foundation (Templeton Foundation) is a philanthropic organization that reflects the ideas of its founder, John Templeton, who became wealthy via a career as a contrarian investor, and wanted to support progress in religious an ...

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 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-governmenta ...

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 Institu ...

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

), 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 Political and economic think tanks based in the European Union Libertarian think tanks Conservatism in Denmark Liberalism in Denmark