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^{[citation needed]} social policies. In 2005, it also opened offices in neighbouring New Zealand. This article is about the institution. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Greg Lindsay is Executive Director of the prominent Australian think tank The Centre for Independent Studies which he founded in 1976 when a young mathematics teacher in the western suburbs suburbs of Sydney. ... The term neoliberalism is used to describe a political-economic philosophy that had major implications for government policies beginning in the 1970s – and increasingly prominent since 1980 – that de-emphasizes or rejects positive government intervention in the economy, focusing instead on achieving progress and even social justice by... Ths article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ...

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 National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA) is a Japanese independent policy research body based in Tokyo founded in 1974 under the National Institute for Research Advancement Act. ... For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ...

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: Free Enterprise is am economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods; investments that are determined by private decision rather than by state control; and determined in a free market. ... The philosophy of liberalism originated in 18th century Europe, in the writings of philosophers such as John Locke. ... Limited government is a government structure where its functions and powers are prescribed, limited, and restricted by law, usually in a written constitution. ...

• 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

Social policy is the study of the welfare state, and the range of responses to social need. ... Not to be confused with Political economy. ... A free market is an idealized market, where all economic decisions and actions by individuals regarding transfer of money, goods, and services are voluntary, and are therefore devoid of coercion and theft (some definitions of coercion are inclusive of theft). Colloquially and loosely, a free market economy is an economy... An open society is a concept originally developed by philosopher Henri Bergson. ... Individualism is a term used to describe a moral, political, or social outlook that stresses human independence and the importance of individual self-reliance and liberty. ... Freedom of association is a Constitutional (legal) concept based on the premise that it is the right of free adults to mutually choose their associates for whatever purpose they see fit. ... Freedom of speech is the concept of being able to speak freely without censorship. ... This page deals with property as ownership rights. ...

Controversy

The CIS is often in controversy with other think tanks and welfare bodies, particularly centrist and Left-wing organisations such as the 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. In politics, centrism usually refers to the political ideal of promoting moderate policies which land in the middle ground between different political extremes. ... “Leftism” redirects here. ... Australia Institute logo The Australia Institute is an Australian think tank conducting public policy research, funded by grants from philanthropic trusts, memberships and commissioned research. ... Uniwalk is the main walkway stretching through the whole Kensingtion campus The University of New South Wales, also known as UNSW or colloquially as New South, is a university situated in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is an international organization of Roman Catholic lay men and women of all ages, whose primary mission is to help the poor and less fortunate. ... The Smith Family is the name of a U.S. political family. ... The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is an Australian advocacy group that represents the interests of organisations and individuals engaged in social 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

and with foreign policy research extends to the Pacific, Asia and the US.

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.
• Liberty and Society annual conference for students and recent graduates.

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

The Independent Weekly is an independent (not owned by News Corp or Fairfax Limited) weekly newspaper published on Sundays in Adelaide. ...

See also

• Emeritus Professor Peter Saunders

There are two Australian Peter Saunders involved in social research, they are: Professor Peter Saunders is Director of the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales and was elected Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia in 1995) [1] Professor Emeritus Peter Saunders...

External links

• The Centre for Independent Studies
• Sourcewatch, Centre for Independent Studies
• Policy (quarterly journal) published by CIS
• Liberty and Society Conference