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.
Books and Book Chapters
Gambling with Our Future? The Costs and Benefits of Legalized Gambling, by Patrick Basham and Karen White (2002).
"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).
"Term Limits and the Need for a Citizen Legislature," Chapter 9 of the Cato Handbook for Congress, 108th Congress, by Edward H. Crane and Patrick Basham (2002).
Sensible Solutions to the Urban Drug Problem, edited by Patrick Basham. Vancouver: Fraser Institute, 2001.
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
"Phantom Plastic Peril," by Patrick Basham and John Luik, American Spectator (Online), April 23, 2008
"Share Power in Haste and You'll Repent at Leisure," AllAfrica.com, March 31, 2008
"How Should Kenya Confront the Past?," African Press International, March 21, 2008
"Free-Market Course," National Review (Online), March 10, 2008
"Do the Math," National Review (Online), January 10, 2008
Events
"Incumbents, Uncompetitive Elections and American Democracy," June 30, 2005 [Capitol Hill Briefing]
Multimedia
Patrick Basham talks about Kenya's troubles on CNN International. (March 4, 2008) [Real Media]
"The French Elect an American" featuring Patrick Basham, May 9, 2007 [Flash Audio, 12:24]
"A Troop Surge Will Not Save Iraq" featuring Patrick Basham, January 11, 2007 [Flash Audio, 16:42]