The Gray Lady Profiles State Think Tanks

New York Times reporter Jason DeParle has been hanging around at several recent meetings of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, and in today's paper he has an interesting article about my friend Larry Reed and several of our compadres in the state think tank movement. DeParle writes:

Policy institutes have been central to a national organizing strategy that has long won the right a reputation for savvy, and state-level versions are growing in number and clout.

Pushing causes like lower taxes, less spending and school choice plans, they have offered conservatives a base of influence independent of electoral politics. Indeed, after the Republican losses in the midterm elections, many conservatives said this carefully tended world -- of research organizations, single-interest groups, foundations and publications -- was vital to the movement's revival.

Though the story's headline, "Preaching the Gospel of Small Government," is a bit overwrought (economic freedom is important, but few of my colleagues would confuse it with preaching the Gospel), overall I thought the story was very well done.

Update: Here is part two in the series.