The Independence Institute (II) is a conservative think tank

Think tank

A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...

 based in Golden, Colorado

Golden, Colorado

The City of Golden is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 16 June 1859, the mining camp was...

. Founded in 1985, the Institute "(concentrates) expertise (in) education, the environment, transportation, personal freedom, government reform, local government, and criminal justice."

Current Staff

As of June 2010, the Independence Institute's Research Director is American author

Author

An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

, attorney

Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

 and political science

Political science

Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

 researcher Dave Kopel

Dave Kopel

Dave Kopel is an American author, attorney, political science researcher and contributing editor to several publications. He is currently Research Director of the Independence Institute in Golden, Colorado, Associate Policy Analyst at the Cato Institute, contributor to the National Review magazine...

.
II's current president is Jon Caldara.

Controversy

The Institute holds an annual Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) party, to promote drinking, smoking, and shooting as a "fundamental right". Independent Institute President Jon Caldara is quoted as saying: “Now remember, a year from now President [Barack] Obama might make all three activities of smoking, drinking and shooting completely illegal. This might be our very, very last opportunity.” In 2008, the event drew a crowd of around 200 supporters.

The Institute has been accused of promoting misinformation on global warming

Global warming

Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...

 by Media Matters for America

Media Matters for America

Media Matters for America is a politically progressive media watchdog group which says it is "dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media." Set up as a 501 non-profit organization, MMfA was founded in 2004 by journalist and...

. The Institute provided several media platforms to James Taylor

James Taylor

James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....

 of the Heartland Institute

Heartland Institute

The Heartland Institute is a libertarian, American public policy think tank based in Chicago, Illinois which advocates free market policies. The Institute is designated as a 501 non-profit by the Internal Revenue Service and advised by a 15 member board of directors, which meets quarterly. As of...

. Taylor's claims about global warming were disputed by Media Matters, including that there is No scientific consensus on man-made global warming. The article also notes donations of $561,500 from 1998 to 2005 to Taylor's Heartland Institute.

In 2008, the Rocky Mountain News

Rocky Mountain News

The Rocky Mountain News was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, United States from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. As of March 2006, the Monday-Friday circulation was 255,427...

 published an article describing the Independent Institute's opposition to Colorado's proposed Amendment 59, a measure to "creat[e] a savings account for schools". II president Jon Caldara, and former Colorado republican Penn Pfiffner were mentioned as opposing the bill in the article. However, Penn Pfiffner is also the director of the Independence Institute's Fiscal Policy Center, a fact not mentioned in the original article.

In 2007, the Independence Institute was accused of dominating the Colorado Media by bigmedia.org. The Independence Institute is described as "a behemoth with an aggressive media strategy and ideological bent." Media Matters is also concerned with uncritical quotation of II President Caldara by reporters.

In 2005, the Independence Institute ran afoul of a law requiring registration of issues-based groups, and disclosure of donors. The Institute's challenge to the laws were successful. Because of the restrictions to freedom of association

Freedom of association

Freedom of association is the individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests....

implied by the laws, the Institute has now applied to the Supreme Court for a judgement against such laws.