The Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology

Over the last few decades, scientific and technological progress have stagnated. Scientists conduct more research than ever before, but groundbreaking innovation is scarce. At the same time, identity politics and political polarization have reached new extremes, and social trends such as family stability and crime are worse than in previous decades and in some cases moving in the wrong direction. What explains these trends, and how can we reverse them? Much of the blame lies with the institutions we rely on for administration, innovation, and leadership. Instead of forward-looking governments, we have short-sighted politicians and bloated bureaucracies. Instead of real experts with proven track records, we have so-called ‘experts’ who appeal to the authority of their credentials. Instead of political leaders willing to face facts and make tough tradeoffs, we have politicians who appeal to ignorance and defer responsibility. To fix our institutions, we need to rethink them from the ground up. That is why CSPI supports and funds research into the administrative systems, organizational structures, and political ideologies of modern governance. Only by understanding what makes these systems so often dysfunctional can we change them for the better. CSPI believes that governments should be accountable to the populace as a whole, not special interest groups. We think experts should have greater say in public policy, but that there should be different standards for what qualifies as “expertise.” We want to end scientific and technological stagnation and usher in a new era of growth and innovation. We are interested in funding and supporting research that can speak to these issues in the social sciences through grants and fellowships. CSPI particularly seek outs work that is unlikely to receive support elsewhere. See our home page for more about the kinds of research we are particularly interested in funding.

The Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology

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