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Patrick Basham
Adjunct Scholar, Center for Representative Government
Patrick Basham is founding director of the Democracy Institute and an adjunct scholar with Cato's Center for Representative Government. Prior to joining the Cato Institute, Patrick Basham served as the founding director of the Social Affairs Center at the Fraser Institute, Canada's leading free market think tank. He is also a Lecturer at Johns Hopkins University where he teaches health care policy. He has edited and written on a variety of policy issues including campaign finance, term limits, and election law. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, the New York Post, the New York Daily News, Newsday, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Baltimore Sun, Canada's National Post and the Globe and Mail. Basham has also appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News Channel, PBS, NPR, BBC, and Radio Free Europe. Basham has studied political science at the University of Houston and Cambridge University.
Media Contact: 202-789-5200
To Book a Speaking Engagement: 202-789-5226
Books and Book Chapters
Butt Out! How Philip Morris Burned Ted Kennedy, the FDA & the Anti-Tobacco Movement (April 2009)
Diet Nation: Exposing the Obesity Crusade, by John Luik, Patrick Basham, and Gio Gori (December 2006)
"Taxpayer Financing in Comparative Perspective," Chapter from Welfare For Politicians? Taxpayer Financing of Campaigns (2005).
"Does Cleanliness Lead to Competitiveness: The Failure of Maine's Experiment," by Patrick Basham and Martin Zelder, Chapter from Welfare For Politicians? Taxpayer Financing of Campaigns (2005).
Gambling with Our Future? The Costs and Benefits of Legalized Gambling, by Patrick Basham and Karen White (2002).
Cato Studies
"Uncompetitive Elections and the American Political System," by Patrick Basham and Dennis Polhill, Policy Analysis no. 547, June 30, 2005.
"Can Iraq Be Democratic?," Policy Analysis no. 505, January 5, 2004.
"Defining Democracy Down: Explaining the Campaign to Repeal Term Limits," Policy Analysis no. 490, September 30, 2003.
"This Is Reform? Predicting the Impact of the New Campaign Financing Regulations," Briefing Paper no. 78, November 20, 2002.
"Does Cleanliness Lead to Competitiveness? The Failure of Maine's Experiment with Taxpayer Financing of Campaigns," by Martin Zelder and Patrick Basham, Policy Analysis no. 456, October 16, 2002.
Articles and Newsletters
"Is the Obesity Epidemic Exaggerated? Yes," by Patrick Basham and John Luik, British Medical Journal, February 2, 2008.
Opinion and Commentary
"Turning Fat People into Social Outcasts," by Patrick Basham and John Luik, Spiked (Online), June 30, 2009
"Smoke Gets in the Government's Eyes," by Patrick Basham and John Luik, Spiked (Online), June 23, 2009
"Keep FDA Away from Tobacco," Orange County Register, June 3, 2009
"Displaying Their Ignorance on Smoking," by Patrick Basham and John Luik, Spiked (Online), April 29, 2009
"Four Fat Myths about Obesity and Cancer," by Patrick Basham and John Luik, Spiked (Online), February 26, 2009
Multimedia
Patrick Basham gives a post election analysis on BBC Radio November 8, 2008 [Flash Audio, 01:00]
Patrick Basham gives a post election analysis on CNBC ASIA November 6, 2008 [Flash Video, 08:02]
Patrick Basham discusses the election on France 24 November 3, 2008 [Flash Video, 02:25]
Patrick Basham discusses the election on BBC America October 28, 2008 [Flash Video, 04:22]
Patrick Basham discusses the bailout on Radio America's "The Michael Reagan Show" September 25, 2008 [Flash Audio, 07:24]